Disparity
by Sapphire Drizzle
Summary: What would happen if two unlikely teenagers met each other? How would their relationship develop? A collection of 26 one-shots between Hyōdō Aoi and Ayuzawa Suzuna, each featuring a letter of the alphabet. ::AoixSuzuna:: Mild language, fluff, humor, etc. Slight AU, leaning more towards the manga.
1. A is for Awkward

**A/N: First Maid-Sama story! Also, I know that this pairing seems a bit odd and unpopular, considering how the two have never met xD, but something about it appealed to me, such as how much Aoi and Suzuna's personalities contrast as well as the fact that they're both the same age and bizarre in their own way.**

**In this fanfic, Aoi has grown (ch 81) so he doesn't cosplay as a girl anymore, settling for making clothes, instead. (Just to clear up any confusion). **

**Please read and review! They help me update a whole lot faster!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**A** if for **Awkward**

_adj. 1) causing difficulty; hard to do or deal with _

_2) causing or feeling embarrassment or inconvenience_

.*.*.*.

* * *

Their first meeting was awkward.

To say the least.

Brooding over nothing in particular, Hyōdō Aoi left his aunt's café and decided to take a stroll along the pavement instead of walking directly back home. Though Satsuki, the manager as well as his aunt, had offered to walk home with him soon since Maid Latte was closing early today, he refused, wanting to spend some time alone.

_My old man probably doesn't want to see my anyway…_

He sighed to himself, wondering what he should do for the remainder of the day when inspiration struck him and he imagined a new design for an outfit. But before he could actually plan out his idea, something brushed against his feet and he looked down to find an apple rolling about his shoes.

Aoi picked the fruit up in confusion, glancing around him.

_Ah._

A dark haired woman with a bag of groceries immediately caught his eyes. He saw that she had accidentally dropped some of the apples in her bag and was walking off, leaving the fruit behind her unnoticed.

"Um, excuse me, Miss," Aoi moved forward a few steps, causing the woman to turn around and face him. He still felt strange using his developing voice but was learning to cope with it, despite the fact that no one else except him really noticed it. The woman gave him a curious look before setting her gaze on the apple in his hand.

"You dropped this."

He held out his arm and returned the apple, earning a polite smile from the woman. Though not often very concerned for the wellbeing of others, Aoi did have moments when he unwittingly helped out others and this was one of them.

"Oh, thank you, young man. I'm grateful to witness such kindness from today's youth!"

Aoi only shrugged, not sure how to respond as he rarely did something like this. He was about to turn away when something about this woman made his eyes linger on her face a little longer. She was young-looking for the most part, a few wrinkles here and there, with dark hair pulled into a messy bun. He was not much taller than her, perhaps by a few inches, but it seemed as though he towered over her from her somewhat frail and delicate form.

But it was her amber eyes that seemed the most familiar to him.

He was only given a couple of seconds to observe her before the bag in her hands suddenly collapsed from the bottom and all of the apples showered to the ground from her arms.

Both Aoi and the woman froze.

She flashed him an uneasy smile and his expression fell further.

_Crap._

So much for a nice walk alone.

* * *

"I have to say, it was very thoughtful of you for helping me out, Aoi-kun," the woman exclaimed happily to the indifferent boy beside her as they carried her groceries back to her home. "You wouldn't believe how many times this has happened to me already!"

_She's incredibly oblivious to the fact that I hate this._

Aoi fought the urge to sigh and managed to weak parody of a smile back to her instead, clearly trying not to be rude but failing considerably. The woman didn't seem to mind though for once they reached her home, she was pulling the boy inside, much to his chagrin.

"No, um, I have to head on home," he protested, attempting to slip himself out of her grip, but the woman only beamed kindly at him and led him inside anyway.

"Oh, you must stay for some tea," she insisted. "Such consideration simply can't go unpaid! Please come in!"

"But…" Aoi had no idea what to do but follow this kind woman, noticing the creaky wood floor and the stains on the walls in the hallway. He slipped off his shoes, opting for some worn slippers as he was pushed into the dining room and told to wait until she finished cutting the apples. Before he could refuse her offer, the woman had disappeared into the kitchen.

He let out the sigh that had been bothering him.

_…What am I even doing here?_

Aoi briefly wondered if his aunt was worrying about him since the café was closing early today and thought about calling her when the sound of a door opening suddenly caught his attention. A young teenage girl that looked about his age stepped inside casually, only to freeze momentarily as she noticed him sitting at the table.

She blinked.

"Hello," the girl calmly greeted him, walking over to the table, some magazines clutched in her hands. She already knew the reason this boy was here; it had to do with her mother dropping something in the street again, but she didn't pry and pretended not to care.

She sat down in the empty chair across of him

"…Hey," Aoi awkwardly replied, chin resting on his fist, cobalt eyes watching her skeptically. This girl, like the woman, seemed oddly familiar to him.

_Maybe I've seen her in school… But I'm sure she's not in my class…_

She could be considered quite pretty, (ha, not that he'd ever say it), with those large quiet amber eyes and dark hair parted into low pigtails that brushed her narrow shoulders. Her expression, however, was unreadable, solemn, almost as if she was bored. She was clad in a pair of brown capris and a yellow sweatshirt that hung on her thin frame loosely.

_Ugh! That outfit is not cute at all!_

_She definitely needs to be more feminine. _

Aoi wanted to say something, he _really_ wanted to just tell her off, but…

He barely knew the girl.

Speaking of which, she didn't look up from the magazines very often, stopping her reading only to tear out some pages and scribble things quickly into the spaces, as if filling out forms. Her methods, Aoi observed, were calm and composed, and it unnerved him a little.

_She's not exactly an irritating person—_

_So, why am I this irritated? _

A sudden urge to break the awkward silence stirred within him, and before he knew it, he had quite brusquely blurted out, "What are you doing?"

Immediately following the outburst, a faint tint of red burned his cheeks and he wished he'd never opened his big mouth. The shuffling of papers ceased. At his voice, the girl raised her head to look at him, a hint of curiosity visible in her large amber eyes.

"I'm entering contests to win prizes," she replied apathetically, holding up one of the entries. She pointed to a picture of a very large vegetable. "This one is for a giant gourd."

Aoi stared at her, dumbstruck. His mouth moved to form words after a moment of silence.

"A giant _gourd?"_

She nodded.

_"Why?"_

The girl shrugged, glancing down at the photo. "I don't know. Perhaps, they taste better than the smaller ones."

"No, no, _why_ are you entering contests for such stupid prizes?" Aoi interrupted her, clearly annoyed by the lack of sense this strange person was making. It was bad enough that she wasn't cute or girly but she seemed just plain bizarre on top of that!

The question was a rude one and the girl was caught off-guard. But it was only for a moment and Aoi hadn't seen the slight shift in her features. Rather than lose her temper and snap back something, she merely raised her eyebrows and watched him with an almost amused expression.

"Goods are goods, no matter how you receive them," she said, holding up her pointer finger in an instructive manner. "If you must pay, then so be it. But if you can get them for free, then why not?"

Aoi crossed his arms, slumping down in his chair.

"It still sounds pretty dumb to me," he muttered, staring at the table. "When you can just go and get the stuff instead of waiting for it to come through the mail…"

Someone who knew Aoi may have called him a bit of a hypocrite since he rarely bought his clothes and dresses from the store, settling for making them himself.

_That's a completely different thing!_

When the girl didn't reply, Aoi glanced up to find her immersed in her work again, not even seeming the slightest offended at his comments. He felt his eyebrows furrow and narrowed his eyes at her.

_How can she just brush everything aside without a care?_

Silence filled the air between them and the only sounds that were heard where the shuffling of papers and the faint tune the girl almost inaudibly hummed under her breath. She didn't seem to mind the quiet, rather enjoyed it, but Aoi only felt more and more awkward as he waited for the woman from before to arrive with the fruit. He wondered if he should just excuse himself now and leave, but his legs refused to cooperate.

In an attempt to ease up the mood, frankly, for himself, he spoke up again.

"So… What's your name?"

She didn't look up. "What's _your _name?"

_Why, you—!_

Temper flaring, Aoi's chin left his hand and he glared at the girl to snap, "_Oi!_ I asked first!"

The strange girl smiled for the first time that afternoon, but Aoi could see the complacency behind it and wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of her face. She faced him with unreadable tea-colored eyes that stared directly into his own deep cobalt ones, causing the navy-haired boy to feel uneasy once more.

"This is my house."

_Damn! Stupid girl! _

Seeing as how she'd won the argument, Aoi sighed, rolling his eyes. "Hyōdō Aoi," he drawled, tapping his fingers along the table.

"Aoi…?" the girl repeated the name in wonder, putting finger to her chin. "I've heard of a famous person with that same name… But it suits you better…"

Heart stopping, Aoi suddenly realized that she was probably referring to his former identity as a popular net idol and couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion, unsure of what she meant by his name 'suiting him' better. It was _his _name, wasn't it? Of course it would suit him!

"What are you talking about?"

"Hyōdō-kun's eyes and hair are a very interesting shade of blue," she explained, openly and apathetically. "So, it suits you."

Aoi involuntarily blushed, clearly embarrassed even though she hadn't really intended to compliment him. He frowned, turning his head away in frustration. "Whatever."

The girl blinked at his reaction and then allowed a tiny smile to lounge on her solemn features, one that made Aoi snap his head back at her, cobalt eyes blazing.

"Well? What's your name, then, huh?"

As she opened her mouth to answer, her mother rushed in with a platter in her hands and a grin on her face.

"Suza-chan! Please come and take this to the table while I go check on the tea!"

_"Hai,"_ the girl listlessly replied, standing up and taking the plate.

"And, Aoi-kun," the woman added. "Please don't hesitate to eat as much as you want! The tea will be ready shortly and my daughter will bring it out!"

Her daughter stepped back to the table, setting it on the surface before sitting down as her the woman gave the two a tiny wave and disappeared into the hallway. When she left, Aoi glanced over to the girl, a mischievous glint finding its way into his dark cobalt eyes.

Aoi smirked. "_Suza-chan?"_

_"Suzuna,"_ she corrected with a hint of defiance in her tone. Aoi could see a light, barely visible tint of pink on her cheeks and he snickered, causing her to stare at him hard enough to drill holes through his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

_It kind of suits her._

Suzuna stared at him solemnly but didn't say anything. She reached for the platter in the center of the table and Aoi finally noticed the apples. They were cut so that they looked like little bunnies and he couldn't help but reach over and observe a slice more closely.

"Itadakimasu," Suzuna said as she popped the apple slice into her mouth.

"Bunny shaped apples?" he muttered to himself, fascinated by the simple appeal of it. Suzuna nodded at him with her mouth full, folding a form and slipping it into an envelope.

"My mother likes cutting them that way."

"It's cute..."

The dark-haired girl tilted her head slightly at him as she crunched on an apple. "Maybe. Do you like cute things?"

The question was a harmless one, and Suzuna didn't expect much of an answer. Even so, Aoi blushed furiously, glaring at her. He crossed his arms defensively.

"So? And what if I do?"

Suzuna shrugged.

"Fine with me. If that's what you like, then it can't be helped. Everyone's different, so I doubt something like this particularly matters," she said, nonchalantly, biting into another apple while sealing the envelope. "The tea should be done. Would you like some, Hyōdō-kun?"

Mouth agape, Aoi watched with her with an astonished stare. He was sure this girl didn't realize that what she so casually mentioned was an unusual thing to say when a stranger took notice of his habits and hobbies. A warm, tingly feeling started in his chest and stomach and Aoi tried to push the feeling down before he lost his guard. He scowled and looked away.

_It doesn't matter._

_She doesn't matter._

The girl in front of him didn't wait for his answer as she stood up and disappeared into the kitchen, returning shortly with two mismatched mugs of tea. She handed one to the disgruntled boy and sat down, sipping hers contentedly, her clear amber eyes failing to notice the questioning gaze he threw her.

Something about Suzuna puzzled Aoi. She was different from a lot of girls he had met, heck; she was a lot different than he was when he used to cosplay as one! Quiet, calm, passive. Absolutely unreadable in every way.

It was irritating.

And the worst part was that she still somehow managed to be cute without trying very hard, though that thought only made the adolescent boy's face flare up once more than afternoon, and he glared down into his mug of tea to clear his mind. What was he thinking?

_Of course she's not cute! She's too weird to be considered cute!_

_Right?_

The sound of a door opening distracted them from the silence.

"I'm home!" a sudden voice called cheerfully. "Okaa-san, Suzuna!" As if on cue, Ayuzawa Misaki walked into the room, a bag slung over her shoulders. She stopped in her tracks as her eyes fell upon the two teenagers sitting in the dining room. Confusion settled on her features.

"Aoi-chan?"

_"M-Misaki-chi?"_

Aoi's eyes widened as he stared at the older girl. She looked back at him, equally puzzled. Suzuna only glanced up in acknowledgment with her usual emotionless expression, giving her sister a little wave.

"Welcome back, Onee-chan," she greeted, receiving a gentle smile from her older sister.

_Onee-chan? _

"What are you doing here?" Aoi interrupted their sisterly moment before he had the chance to realize that she lived there. Realization dawned on Misaki and she looked at the boy with a cocky smile on her features.

"Well, this _is_ my house," she explained, grinning knowingly. "Did my mother ask you to come in after she dropped her groceries or something?"

Her voice held a hint of playfulness, but Aoi only scowled at how he hadn't seen the resemblance at first. Of course that woman and her daughter were related to her! They all looked so similar! How could he have missed that?

"Yeah, but I should be getting home, anyway," Aoi muttered, playing with the handle on his mug of tea. "My aunt is probably looking for me."

"Actually," Misaki murmured, setting down her bag and throwing her jacket across a chair. "She's wanted you to enjoy yourself for quite some time, so she probably won't mind."

Turning back to face them before she stepped into the hallway, the older Ayuzawa smirked and winked mischievously.

"Besides, the two of you look pretty adorable sitting there together."

Aoi choked on his tea.

_"What?"_ he spluttered angrily, face reddening. Suzuna only blinked as her older sister started cracking up, her voice fading up the stairs, while the boy in front of her grumbled something about 'manly old hag' under his breath.

"Hm…" Suzuna hummed, lightly tapping her chin. "Onee-chan's husband seems to be rubbing off on her. She's been teasing me more often."

_Calling Usui Takumi, 'Onee-chan's husband' must mean that she's very aware of their relationship... Even so..._

Aoi glanced at her, unable to believe that Suzuna even felt like she was being 'teased', what, with that obnoxiously apathetic look on her face. Most people would at least look slightly annoyed, but this girl was as composed as ever.

_…She doesn't look like she cares at all._

There was a long and uncomfortable silence.

"I… should go," Aoi finally said, standing up as he left his unfinished tea on the table. Understanding the situation, Suzuna also stood and nodded, leading him to the front door and opening it. Slipping his shoes back on, he stepped outside and turned to look at Suzuna, unable to voice his appreciation for the tea and apples.

"Well, that was…" he began with his hands in his pockets, avoiding Suzuna's expecting amber eyes. "…awkward."

_Idiot! Don't say that!_

Aoi mentally scolded himself for ruining the moment even more. Why didn't he just lie and say it was 'nice', 'fun'—_anything_? Suzuna remained expressionless as she rested her palm against the door.

A moment of silence passed and Aoi desperately wished she'd say something.

"Your face is red," the girl deadpanned.

Great.

"Huh? It is? I'm just, I mean, um—"

_"Hyōdō-kun," _she interrupted, getting his attention. The navy-haired boy raised his head at her voice, obviously displeased by her earlier accusation but curious nonetheless.

"W-What?"

"Are you embarrassed?"

_Shut up! I'm not embarrassed!_

"No! Of course not!"

To his surprise, Suzuna laughed very softly at his flustered expression, an enigmatic smile spreading across her features.

She removed her palm from the door.

"Good-bye, Hyōdō-kun."

Her amber eyes bore into his cobalt ones. Aoi paused for just a moment trying to decipher that unusual look she wore before

_She's so different from Misaki-chi… _

_I mean, both of them wear unfeminine clothing and are not cute at all, but, still, she's…_

He refused to think about it.

Aoi lowered his head slightly in a bow before straightening himself a second later.

"Yeah. See you."

"Oh!" the girl suddenly realized. "The giant gourd will arrive next week. Just so you know."

He turned on his heels without another glance, raising the back of his hand in a small wave of dismissal as he started along the path. The sky was darkening and the sun was setting, causing him to be late for dinner, but Aoi ignored it all as he pondered Ayuzawa Suzuna's words.

_The giant gourd will arrive next week. Just so you know._

Was she just trying to show him up?

Or was she inviting him back?

He hadn't the slightest idea. And again with the stupid gourd? Aoi had to admit, that girl was almost as strange as he was…

Their first meeting was awkward.

_However._

He promised himself that the next time he saw her, he'd work on her fashion sense.


	2. B is for Boredom

**A/N: Next update! Thanks to all that reviewed, favorited, and followed! **

**Again, please read and review! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**B** is for **Boredom**

_n. 1) the condition of being bored or uninterested_

.*.*.*.

* * *

Attending school was a long and boring procedure.

Now, Ayuzawa Suzuna knew how to play the game of education quite well, if she said so herself. She was an excellent student with an intelligent mind and often made the top marks in her grade, despite the little amount of effort she truly put into studying. She was a fast learner, so information often sank in right away and though she had a tendency of being lazy at times, she found enough time in her day to participate in occasional school activities.

Student Council, however, was not one of them.

"You're Ayuzawa's younger sister, aren't you? You should totally try out for President!"

"Eh? Ayuzawa Suzuna? Is she related to Kaichou?"

"You're right! She looks just like her! So cute!"

"Why not join Student Council, Ayuzawa-san? You have a good chance of becoming the president, just like your older sister!"

Regardless.

Her reply was always the same.

"No, thank you. I'm not interested."

Frankly, it all sounded like too much work, not to mention really boring, but the pressure from her peers had begun to get unbearable. Suzuna was the last person to be bothered by something like this and could scarcely keep her poise after the umpteenth time being asked the same questions.

"Oh, come on! You wanna make your sister proud, don't you?"

"Don't be so stubborn, Su-chan! They'll definitely vote for you!"

"You don't have to run for President, just join the Student Counc—"

_"—BRIINNNG!"_

Phew.

Saved by the bell.

"Ah! Gotta go! See you later, Su-chan!"

"Ja ne, Ayuzawa!"

A sigh escaped the dark-haired girl as the bell rang, ending the period and signaling lunch break. She closed her eyes for only a moment and collected her composure before picking up her books and bento and heading out the classroom doors.

What was it with everyone?

Why did they so desperately want her to join the Student Council?

She wondered if her sister would be disappointed if she refused to join. At the same time, she wondered if she may be proud if she agreed.

Not that it really mattered.

Okay, maybe a little.

Suzuna normally seemed to have all the answers, but this was one thing she couldn't decide on her own.

_Onee-chan…? What should I do?_

With tea-colored eyes glazed over in thought, the thin dark-haired girl walked steadily down the hallway, paying no mind to her surroundings. Her mind flooded with unanswered questions, her brow furrowed in a troubled manner that did not suit her at all.

Perhaps she should just join and get it over with.

It wouldn't hurt, right?

Sure, it's a lot of work and it's tiring and it's probably _so_ boring and—

_"Oi! Watch where you're going!"_

The vexed voice had snapped her out of her thoughts and Suzuna suddenly noticed the dull pain in her upper arms, the result of crashing shoulders with someone else. She concealed that moment of shock well behind an expressionless mask, wondering who could have possibly been so clumsy as to bump into her like that.

Completely ignoring the fact that she was the one at fault.

Straightening her books and brushing her skirt, Suzuna raised her head expectantly. She was prepared to look into the face of some rude, high school brute, only to find something else entirely.

Two blazing cobalt eyes.

How unexpected.

* * *

"I didn't know that you enrolled into Seika High, Hyōdō-kun."

The two teenagers sat together in the bustling classroom and spoke with one another as they ate their lunches. While Aoi had been busy picking stubbornly at his rolls, Suzuna had finished her bento rather quickly, much to his surprise. He had commented earlier on her unfeminine and piggish eating habits only to have the girl merely cock her head in an innocent gesture of confusion.

"Yeah, well, Misaki-chi's been telling me a lot about how the 'school's gotten better' and whatnot. Didn't it have a really bad reputation before?"

"It still does."

"Then why'd _you_ enroll?"

_Why did I enroll?_

_Simple._

"Family should stick together."

She answered without missing a beat.

Aoi had raised a single eyebrow at her reply but said not a word. His fingers casually brushed a stray navy hair on his head back into place and Suzuna took this moment of silence as an opportunity to observe him at a closer perspective. She raised her head and watched him.

Hyōdō Aoi was, without a doubt, a rather good-looking teenage boy and though Suzuna was not the type of girl to swoon over someone because of their appearance, she had to admit that he was attractive, in a _twisted_ sort of way. If he chose to erase that permanent mark of a scowl set into his lips, she could even call him cute, but the younger Ayuzawa knew better than to judge another's expressions when she hardly possessed any of her own.

"…What are you looking at?"

She blinked.

He had caught her staring.

Should she feel ashamed?

Aoi put another bite of rice into his mouth, shooting Suzuna a suspicious glare as he did so. At that moment, the younger Ayuzawa couldn't help but allow her gaze to travel down to his lips, pale and delicate-looking, back up to the stark blueness of his eyes and the downward curl of his la—

What was this feeling she felt?

A wave of uneasiness spread through the dark-haired girl's body but she remained still and composed, easily making sure that her face held no sign of her emotions.

"You have long eyelashes."

He froze.

The rice fell from his chopsticks.

_"W-What?"_

His face had reddened sooner than he could move his mouth to form words and Suzuna was puzzled by the boy's reaction. Had she said something wrong?

She was only pointing out a fact.

_Interesting._

"What the hell are you talking about, Suzuna?" Aoi blistered, his cheeks stained with humiliation. "That's such a weird thing to say! _You weirdo!"_

_Ah. So, he is embarrassed?_

_This is like last time._

A simple smile graced the pretty dark-haired girl's lips, one that seemed to make her amber eyes soften and facial features relax. This boy was a peculiar specimen and despite the fact that she didn't know exactly why he became so flustered, Suzuna wanted to probe him a little more.

Just for fun.

"Hm. Is it weird? Hyōdō-kun is actually quite cute."

Poke.

_"Ehhhh?"_

Pure and utter mortification.

The clatter of chopsticks on the floor.

Intrigued by the flickering flame in those deep cobalt eyes, Suzuna leaned in slightly.

_Hyōdō Aoi is not boring at all._

* * *

The school day ended after a painfully long time. The younger Ayuzawa was bombarded by the Student Council and her peers throughout the rest of the day and sought inwardly for ways to avoid them and their blasted questions.

When class was let out, she wasted no time in hurrying outside.

To her curiosity, Aoi had been standing in the schoolyard with his book bag slung around his lean shoulders and hands stuffed into his pockets. He was intuitively kicking some pebbles around with his feet, back leaning against the gate.

Had he been waiting for somebody?

"Hyōdō-kun."

He looked up.

"What are you doing?"

It was a simple question, but Aoi frowned anyway. He glared pointedly at Suzuna who only gazed back emotionlessly in response. At last, a sigh escaped his lips and he straightened himself, running a hand through his dark, navy locks.

"Nothing, really."

Silence.

Suzuna cocked her head.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

He gritted his teeth. "Of course not," he spat. "I'm fine by myself!"

"Then," Suzuna continued, disregarding his wishes to be alone. "Do you want to walk home together?"

"No, I—"

Aoi stopped himself. He stared at her.

At length, his expression softened if only for a moment and he found himself nodding along.

"Fine."

* * *

From across the school yard, Ayuzawa Misaki caught sight of her younger sister and Aoi-chan walking down the path together and all concern vanished from her features.

She smiled.

* * *

"What's with that look, eh? Depressed or something?"

His question was spouted in a rude fashion but Suzuna could sense something more sincere behind those furrowed eyebrows and deep-set scowl. Was that worry in his eyes?

No, she was reading into him far too much.

Anyway.

"School is boring at times," she confessed, looking up at the trees they passed. "The same things happen every day and nobody really does anything interesting."

Aoi snorted. "That's rich coming from you, Suzuna. I heard you made the highest scores in your last school."

She was unfazed.

"And?"

"Well," he continued in a 'know-it-all' sort of tone. "I just find it odd that a smart student such as yourself could find school boring, considering how well you do in it. I, on the other hand, have a plausible reason for hating school."

_Is that so? And what might that be?_

"Why do you hate school?"

Aoi seemed irritated by the question and Suzuna wondered if she'd been too frank. Not that she cared.

"I was bullied a lot at my old schools," he muttered with a grimace, unable to meet her eyes. "for enjoying things that the other guys didn't. That's why I hate school and everybody in it. Nobody understands me."

Suzuna was undeniably curious now. Why was he bullied? What things did he enjoy? Why didn't anybody understand him?

"I can understand you," she said without thinking, noticing the astounded look he gave her. "If you allow me to."

"What do you mean? You don't even know me, Suzuna," he huffed, lips twisted in something of a pout. If she hadn't known better, the dark-haired girl would have commented on how 'cute' he looked at that moment.

Her heartbeat quickened oddly enough.

What was she thinking?

She allowed those strange thoughts to simmer in her mind for a few moments before brushing them aside. These feelings were too difficult to decipher; she had no time for it.

"And you don't know me either, Hyōdō-kun," Suzuna replied, looking straight ahead. "So, it's safe to say that we both could ease off assumptions for now."

A derisive sound escaped the boy's lips.

"That can never happen. Human beings live off assumptions, you know? We judge. That's how we make sense of the world."

_That…_

_That isn't exactly wrong._

Despite her careless demeanor, Suzuna could not deny that she was becoming drawn to this fiery, cobalt-eyed boy.

* * *

Eventually, their conversational topics had strayed back to the hardships of school and the petite dark-haired could not resist bringing up the issue on her mind. She was going to talk to her older sister about it, but something told her that talking to someone now would take some of the tension off of her body.

"They all want me to join the Student Council."

"Sounds fun."

_Does it?_

"I don't want to do it."

Suzuna, always straightforward, said as she pleased.

"Don't do it then."

She blinked. Remarkably, confusion was evident in her features.

"Why do you say that?"

Aoi only shrugged. For a moment, he considered not answering her question, but Suzuna saw something flicker within his expression for a brief second and before she knew it, he was speaking again.

"If you don't want to do it, don't do it. Nothing good will come if you work half-heartedly. Besides, you shouldn't let the pressure get to you like that. Otherwise you'll lose the ability to make decisions for yourself and depend on others too much. And if that happens, Suzuna, you'll no longer be able to live your life the way that you want; you'll have only expectations to meet and people to obey. And that's hardly appealing, right?"

Her breath caught.

She stared.

The navy-haired boy glanced back at the younger Ayuzawa, not anticipating seeing any response from the apathetic girl. However, as he looked into her face, it became clear to him that she had not been expecting him to say the things that he did. Her amber eyes were wide, her mouth open in a small 'o'.

In return, his eyes also widened and he feverishly turned to hide his head from her view. Scolding himself inwardly for rambling on with such blunt advice, he was prepared for some witty comeback or offhand remark.

No such thing came.

Suzuna sucked in a breath.

"You're right."

He watched her from the corner of his eye.

"That doesn't sound appealing at all," she murmured, her expression reverting into neutrality. _No, it sounds boring, if anything._

"You do the same thing, don't you, Hyōdō-kun?"

Before he could reply, she had spoken again.

"That's why you're so different—_intriguing_."

Cobalt eyes flashed with defiance.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he hissed, heatedly.

Suzuna could only try not to smile as she looked seriously into the boy's face and allowed her heart to flutter in that odd, peculiar way it did when he was brimming with such emotions. She didn't truly understand the feeling; only that it was nice and that she liked it.

"Thank you, Hyōdō-kun."

"Eh? For what?"

_You've cured my boredom._

"The advice."

_That, too._

"It was nothing."

_It was everything._

"Um… this is where I have to turn. See you tomorrow, Suzuna."

His words lingered in the air around her long after the two parted ways. A smile crossed the apathetic dark-haired girl's lips after a moment of thought. That's it. This was more than a feeling of simple attraction.

She was interested.

In him—

_No._

_Because of him._

"Of course."

_Tomorrow, then, Hyōdō-kun. Stay the way you are._

_Maybe…_

Maybe school would be a just little less boring with Hyōdō Aoi around.


	3. C is for Cake

**A/N: Thanks so much to those who gave me ideas for this chapter! Remember, suggestions are always welcome—I know I'll need some for future letters. xD **

**Like the last one, this chapter is mostly from Suzuna's perspective. However, the next one will be from Aoi's. I will try to fluctuate between the two of them. **

**Anyway, read and review, please! I love hearing feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**C **is for **Cake**

_n. 1) an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour, shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often decorated_

.*.*.*.

* * *

She was never too fond of her own deserts.

Every error stood out, every imperfection mocked her. It wasn't that she despised imperfections in and of themselves; no, rather, she welcomed them, accepted them. She understood them. She possessed many of her own.

Normalcy bored her; imperfections were interesting.

However, somehow sweets and cooking didn't fit into such a simple philosophy very neatly; it was the one thing she had to make absolutely certain was perfect.

These insecurities did not suit the apathetic, taciturn dark-haired girl at all.

Nevertheless, it was a nice, breezy day, and more than anything, Ayuzawa Suzuna wished to bake a cake. Her older sister had already gone to work and her mother was busy buying groceries, so she took this peaceful moment as an opportunity to make something sweet.

_Onee-chan will be pleased to eat some pastry in her free time._

The cake seemed to be a flawless masterpiece to the average onlooker. Juicy red strawberries lined the edges of the dessert and swirls of icing decorated the center. Suzuna licked a bit of cream from her fingers. Despite its pleasant outer appearance, something was wrong, imprecise in its form. She couldn't quite place exactly what or where it was—only that it was there.

Suzuna boxed the cake.

And ignored the inadequacies.

_Now to Onee-chan's job. _

She took her time getting out the door, cake box held protectively in her thin arms and satchel thrown carelessly around her slender shoulders. The walk turned out to be a pleasant one that suited her tastes. The quiet twitter of birds, the occasional car that drove by. Calm, serene, an enjoyable silence that eased her mind.

A chime of an opening door.

His eyes caught her own the moment she entered Maid Latte.

Little did she know that this enjoyable silence would not be for long.

* * *

"What are you wearing?" Hyōdō Aoi accused in a scathing tone, mouth pulled into a scowl. He was seated in a stool near the back of the café, a glum, almost pouty expression plastered to his face—the kind people usually had when they didn't get what they wanted.

_Huh?_

Suzuna blinked.

Looking down at her body, she could only see a simple weekend outfit. Knee-length shorts. A green long-sleeve shirt. Casual white sandals. A side bag. And a strawberry shortcake in her arms.

Nothing particularly unusual.

"Clothes."

It was obvious to Suzuna that this indifferent response was not satisfactory with the boy; his expression remained irked. The two stared at one another for a long moment before the dark-haired girl spoke again, face completely and utterly passive.

_Ah._

"I see. Would you prefer it I were to show up naked next time, Hyōdō-kun?"

His reaction was worth it.

Eyes widening at her blunt words, the teenage boy immediately turned his head, arms crossing over his chest in an expression of embarrassment, frustration and maybe a hint of anger. It was obvious to the apathetic girl that she had once again caused that amusing shade of red to burn Aoi's face, for one reason or another.

She had the sudden urge to pinch his cheeks.

_Must control myself._

She controlled herself.

An awkward moment passed by before Aoi turned his head back towards her. His visage had regained most of its original color, although Suzuna could see that telltale rosy hue that continued to glow on his cheekbones. Eyebrows furrowed angrily and teeth grinded together—she knew that he was not pleased at all with her unique sense of 'humor'.

"Of course I didn't mean that, _idiot,"_ he growled at her. "I'm talking about your fashion sense. That outfit is not cute or attractive in the slightest! There's no fluff, lace, or even a hint of pink!"

_Oh?_

"Should there be?"

"Yes! You're a girl, aren't you?"

A flicker of amusement.

"I believe so," Suzuna said. Her lips had curled up into something of a smile, strangely wicked and slightly disconcerting. "And you, Hyōdō-kun?"

Indignation.

"Wh—_Hmph!_ What are you trying to say, eh?"

A shrug.

"Nothing important. Since you asked, I decided to do the same," she replied, hands still firmly placed on either sides of the cake. Her impish smile had disappeared long ago. "You don't need to answer, of course. Correct me if I am wrong, although, I am quite certain that Hyōdō Aoi-kun is a boy."

Exasperation.

"That's beyond the point! Why do you insist on wearing such boring clothes?"

A question mark.

Suzuna paused for a moment and contemplated his words. Were her clothes really boring? Why did she insist on wearing them? Did she need fluff, lace, and pink?

And why did Hyōdō Aoi care so much?

"They are inexpensive."

_"Is that all?"_

Utterly unaffected, her silence was enough to aggravate him further.

"Gah! You're _just_ like Misaki-chi!"

Puzzled by the comparison, Suzuna gracefully pulled out a chair from the table near his stool and sat down, angling her body so that she was facing him. She placed the cake box down on to the surface, careful not to ruin the intricate texture of the frosting that lay within the confines of the cardboard. Two imperfections were more than enough.

"Am I?" she questioned, placing a finger to her lip in thought. "On the contrary, Onee-chan and I are often told we are polar opposites."

"_Feh._ When it comes to clothing choice, you both have bad taste."

At this comment, most would be offended, many even apologetic, but not the remarkably reserved Ayuzawa Suzuna. She had more than enough tolerance for this kind of behavior; she experienced enough of it at school—people were always so quick to judge her in regards to Misaki.

_"You're not really that calm, are you, Ayuzawa? You're probably just like your maniac of an older sister!"_

This was often followed by a painfully cold and distant stare that made even the most confident students uneasy. That was the best part—their awkward apology and excuse to leave.

Suzuna would laugh in that inexplicable way of hers if she wasn't too busy trying to scare these people away.

"If only both of you tried to be more feminine… Such a waste!"

Oh, yeah.

Hyōdō Aoi was still there.

_More feminine? _

Suzuna took this opportunity to observe his own outfit—he was clad stylishly in a pair of designer pants and a nice vest and shirt that made Suzuna look back to herself in thought. By comparison, she felt her clothes was plain, a sharp contrast to his fashionable ones.

_He's difficult to relate to. We have nothing in common._

_Yet, I'm somehow drawn to him._

"A waste of what?"

Aoi cringed. He avoided the question.

"What are you doing here, anyway? What's in the box?"

_Ah, yes. _

"This cake is for Onee-chan and her friends." Her response was as smooth as always. "Why are you at Maid Latte, Hyōdō-kun?"

Haughtily, he spat back, "My business doesn't concern you, _Suzuna._"

An exaggerated gasp entered their ears.

The two looked towards the sound at once.

* * *

_"What's this?"_ Ayuzawa Misaki exclaimed with a large grin and her hands on her hips. Her pretty amber eyes glimmered with mischief. "Aoi-chan is referring to my younger sister without an honorific? So, the two of you are already married, then?"

The horror was visible in the boy's expression, but Suzuna was already speaking before he had the chance to furiously deny such a preposterous notion.

"Actually, Onee-chan," the apathetic girl explained, raising the palm of her hand. "Hyōdō-kun was saying my name with disgust, not affection. Therefore, it is safe to say that he does not think of me as a 'wife figure'."

In a flustered huff, Aoi fumbled out his words. "Y-Yeah! You don't know anything, you old hag!" he agreed hastily.

A slight quirk of the lips.

"I may be the 'husband figure', however."

Misaki laughed hard as the navy-haired boy viciously spewed out a string of angry and mortified remarks in his defense. The younger of the Ayuzawa sisters silently observed him but anyone who knew Suzuna could see the lapse of delight that slipped though in her features.

Those usually quiet and large tea-colored eyes of hers stirred with amusement.

Aoi saw this.

He felt his skin grow hotter.

"Dammit! You both drive me crazy!"

He sank down in the stool, covering his face with his hands. Misaki rolled her eyes at his behavior and patted the blushing boy upon his head, purposely ruffling his navy locks despite his vexed pleas for neatness. Her hand was swatted away in irritation at once, causing her to laugh even harder.

"Oh, Onee-chan," Suzuna suddenly remembered, interrupting the lighthearted scene before her. A hand tapped the top of the box. "I baked you this cake because—"

"You both can eat it."

Silence.

Aoi peeked through his fingers to see Suzuna staring dumbly at the distancing figure of her older sister, who had left her table and was taking the orders of another group of customers. Her apathetic mask held no sign of her emotions, making Aoi wonder what exactly was going through her head.

Suddenly, Suzuna turned to face him.

To his surprise, she gestured to the chair beside her.

* * *

"I'm not sitting over there with you."

Defiance and distaste laced his tone.

"Why not? Do you work here?" she asked, ignoring his blatant aversion towards her.

"Well… no, but—"

"Then you are a customer today."

She patted the chair again. He rolled his eyes.

A sigh escaped him.

* * *

"This cake… isn't _completely_ awful…"

Though she could tell that Aoi was impressed for the most part, Suzuna was not oblivious to the disdain in his tone, as if he was reluctant to admit that he liked her cake. That same strange and fluttery feeling arose in her chest again from the compliment and her mouth turned up ever so slightly.

_Is this pride or satisfaction?_

_…Or perhaps it's another emotion entirely?_

"Ah, really? Thank you, Hyōdō-kun"

A faint tint of scarlet burned his cheeks—that was _not_ what he meant. Flustered by her simple gratitude, Aoi frowned, obviously hoping for a response as insolent as his own. He briefly wondered if Ayuzawa Suzuna ever got angry at all, being as calm and robotic as she was.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the navy-haired boy mumbled as he bit into another piece of the cake. "Don't get a big hea—"

He paused to look up at her, eyebrows raised. Suzuna cocked her head slightly to the left in confusion as she munched on her cake.

Was something wrong?

Swallowing his bite, Aoi leaned across the table to get a better look, seemed satisfied with himself, and then sat back against his chair, arms crossed. He gestured to the corner of his mouth.

"You've got a little icing over here," he pointed out with a grimace.

At this comment, she observed him as well. A similar dab of icing dotted his lower lip.

_So do you, Hyōdō-kun._

Suzuna paid his comment no mind, returning to the cake. Her ignorance sent a flurry of irritation throughout Aoi, who could hardly handle such carelessness. Cute girls were supposed to be graceful in their manner of eating as well, right?

Not that he thought Ayuzawa Suzuna was cute, of course. Especially not with that tiny bit of white frosting on those damn alluring lips of hers that he definitely _did not_ have the urge to suddenly feel against his own.

Ha.

That was plain ridiculous.

_"Jeez!_ You make such a mess when you eat…"

Without thinking, he impulsively reached over with a napkin to wipe away the cake from the unsuspecting dark-haired girl's face when she suddenly glanced up and caught his eyes.

He froze.

The napkin was brushing against Suzuna's lower lip and she felt herself stiffen at the touch. Licking his own lips, Aoi managed to unintentionally get rid of the frosting that dotted his own mouth, gaze never leaving hers. A faint tingle spread through Suzuna's body as she stared into his deep cobalt eyes, a strange sort of heat crawling up her neck and face. Her pulse quickened.

Aoi seemed to realize what he was doing at once, eyes widening, but before he could explain himself—

_"Ehhhh?_ My Aoi-chan and Suza-chan are on a _date?"_

His hand fell immediately. The napkin floated to the table.

…_Date? _

_Hyōdō-kun and I?_

The manager, who had somehow appeared behind the two, pressed her hands to her cheeks. Her blue eyes were glowing excitedly as a sweet, pink, flush rose to her cheeks.

_"Moe!"_

Suzuna noted, with interest, the red color that had immediately tinged the navy-haired boy's face. She pressed a hand to her own in curiosity, surprised to feel a strange heat emitting from the soft skin of her cheeks.

What had just happened?

Was she… _blushing?_

In an attempt to clear her mind, she reached over the table to discreetly pull a single strawberry from the cake. That peculiar feeling in her chest arose again; it was something she never had felt before meeting this Aoi person and she couldn't help but wonder why it had occurred in the first place.

Ayuzawa Suzuna was _not_ a girl who flushed with embarrassment.

No matter what.

Surely, this reaction had to have a reason.

_How… bizarre._

Turning his head sharply up at Satsuki, Aoi's glare sent daggers. _"Satsuki-san!_ It's not like that _at all!" _

"Ne, Aoi-chan, it's alright to have a girlfriend! You are growing up into a man, after all!" his aunt rambled on without a care as an aura of flowery things seemed to radiate from her small body. "I know how those teenage hormones work—_you can't keep your hands off each other!_ When I was your age, I was head-over-heels for this cute boy who…"

Aoi groaned and covered his ears. Ignorant to his aggravation, the petite dark-haired girl was busy chomping away on a strawberry, her tea-colored eyes cloudy with thought. Suddenly, the sound of a chair squeaking loudly entered her ears and Suzuna could sense that Aoi had gotten up and moved toward her.

He abruptly grabbed her by the wrist.

_Hm?_

Suzuna looked up into urgent cobalt eyes.

_"Let's go."_

* * *

The half-eaten strawberry was left forgotten.

Tension was visible in Aoi's shoulders as he marched down the pavement, hand clasped forcefully around Suzuna's arm. The fuzzy warmth that had vanished earlier from her body had engulfed her once again at his touch, although it was much slighter this time and Suzuna knew how to control her emotions well.

She allowed herself to be dragged only long enough to snap out of her surprise and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Aoi stomped ahead, not expecting to be pulled back by the adamant dark-haired girl. She felt his fingers around her wrist stiffen, and then suddenly loosen in realization.

He swiveled his head back at her and hastily released her arm. He looked as though her skin had burned him.

"I—uh—didn't mean," Aoi stammered, troubled. His face had begun to lose its flushness and he looked down at her feet instead of at those impassive amber eyes, unconsciously rolling his hands into taut fists. Suzuna could only observe him with genuine curiosity.

Had Satsuki's comments really made him so uncomfortable?

"Hyōdō-kun, what is the matter?"

"It's…"

His voice trailed off into something like a weak murmur.

_…It's?_

"Hm? Did you say something?"

He tightened his jaw. "It's _embarrassing!" _Aoi hissed through clenched teeth.

"What is?" the petite dark-haired girl asked.

An impatient growl.

"You just don't get it, do you, Suzuna? Aren't you bothered by my aunt and your sister teasing us so much?"

His teeth were bared and his nose was wrinkled, a natural expression of frustration and humiliation. For a moment, Suzuna had lost her train of thought; those fiery blue eyes were burning into her so intensely. Something stirred in her chest and stomach.

_I need to remain alert._

Snapping herself out of such sentiments, she stared right back at him, her own tea-colored pools absolutely unfathomable.

"No," she replied, unperturbed. "I'm can't be bothered to be bothered about it."

Her attempt at a joke only aggravated the teenager further.

"How can you be so calm about it?"

"Is it really such an issue? After all, we did get to have the cake to ourselves."

Something in the way Suzuna said the words made Aoi pause.

He was about to let some snarky comeback roll of his tongue when she took advantage of his lack of defense and stepped towards him. A single finger had traveled up his face, hovering above his lips. He had no time to react—she was right in front of him.

_Ah. He's making that cute face again._

She leaned in close and positioned her lips beside his ear, immensely intrigued when he stiffened at the proximity. "Hyōdō-kun didn't know this, but he had a tiny piece of cake right _here_."

Eyes widening at her words, Aoi backed away from Suzuna within seconds, brushing an arm fervently across his mouth. Her finger had never made contact with his lips but he could still feel its presence lingering there. It was a… _strange _sensation_. _Nonetheless, the younger Ayuzawa noticed the flush that rose to his cheeks in response to her actions and a fleeting smile danced across her pretty features.

"Let's go back, Hyōdō-kun. Manager-san and Onee-chan are probably wondering where we are."

She turned around and began moving towards the café when a hand wrapped itself around her elbow and yanked her back.

"Don't…"

Aoi's head was lowered and his usually expressive eyes were hidden behind his navy fringe so Suzuna could not tell what he was thinking. She suddenly became aware of how much she depended on his expressions to understand him. Without them, she couldn't be sure of what he must have been experiencing.

Grip tight and unwavering, he held on to her just like before, except this time, he didn't act as though her touch repulsed him.

_"Don't tease me like that…"_

He sounded breathless, almost pained. Suzuna had half a mind to tease him further but his strange manner of speaking frightened her. Just a little.

She did not let her discomfort show.

"Like what?"

_"You know!"_

"I don't."

Aoi huffed out something angrily before surrendering, letting his fingers fall from her elbow. Straightening up, the navy-haired boy pushed past Suzuna without a glance back and stuffed his hands in his pants pockets, clearly disgruntled.

"Whatever," he muttered. "Let's go eat a little more of that cake before it's all gone."

He shook his head quickly in an attempt to correct himself, glancing back to look at her with a serious visage.

"Not that it was good, or anything, got it? It's just bad to waste food…"

"Right."

A look of relief crossed his features as he turned around again. For a moment, she simply stood and observed his trailing figure, eventually allowing a languid smile to lounge on her features. In all honesty, Ayuzawa Suzuna was never too fond of her own deserts—the imperfections bothered her. They didn't stand out to anyone except herself and no one ever seemed to have anything bad to say about them.

People loved her cooking.

Yet, it still bothered her.

_Although, he…_

_He_ claimed that her cake was bitter, boring, ugly, and bland. Albeit, _he_ was lying and actually failing quite miserably at doing so. The telltale glimmer in those cobalt eyes as he bit into the delicious pastry revealed to her the truth that his tongue was too stubborn to say.

Even so, Hyōdō Aoi was the first person to insult her cake baking skills.

It was…

Surprisingly _thrilling._

She would have to work much harder to pass through that obstinate wall of defense and hotheadedness he had created for himself. Surely, it would be difficult, not to mention risky and positively entertaining, however…

_Hyōdō Aoi is one of a kind. _

_The perfect imperfection on the cake._

Suzuna would not have wanted it any other way.


	4. D is for Distraction

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter ended up being kind of long. Haha, I couldn't help myself; the ideas just flowed out. xD Anyway, loved the suggestions you guys gave me and tried to incorporate a few of them in one chapter. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**D **is for **Distraction**

_n. 1) a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else_

_2) extreme agitation of the mind or emotions; great mental distress_

.*.*.*.

* * *

Few things distracted a busy Hyōdō Aoi.

He always made sure that once he began working on another one of his creations, nothing was allowed to interrupt him or pull his attention away. Focus was integral at those times. Without it, he'd be a mess, a pile of fabrics and buttons lying about an untidy room.

Without his precious focus, he'd be lost.

Pencil gliding over an off-white sheet of paper, the navy-haired boy sketched out his latest design. A few frills here, ribbons over there, a line of rhinestones along the hem. The dress was the usual, flamboyant type of thing Aoi normally made.

He only wished he was still able to pull it off.

Thanks to puberty, however, Aoi had to settle with designing rather than modeling, as his height and broadening shoulders did not help his net idol image, nor did the fact that he possessed none of the curves of a woman.

And thankfully, too.

He was a former cross-dresser.

That didn't mean he wanted to be an actual _girl._

At that very moment, it dawned on him. He turned his head around to glance at the pile of dresses sitting on his bed, kneading his eraser thoughtfully in his hands.

These dresses—what was he to do with them?

Force them on to the employees at Maid Latte? He wasn't too sure if they'd appreciate it, as they were always criticizing something about his dresses—it was all just idiocy, of course—they weren't the best at fashion, either. If anyone, Ayuzawa Misaki was probably the most tolerant of his whims, though he was not stupid and could sense that even she didn't take much of an interest.

He tapped his pencil against the paper.

Then again, Misaki-chi's younger sister could…

_No!_

Shaking himself from the thoughts, Aoi put his pencil and sketchbook down on the desk and ran a hand through his navy hair. There it was again with those stupid distractions. He could hardly concentrate now that such a dilemma had entered his subconscious. He desperately needed a solution.

His head made contact with the surface of the table.

A groan escaped him.

Why did he have to think about this now?

* * *

The line rang once, twice, thrice—

_"Moshi moshi?"_

Aoi jumped out of his chair at once, palm slamming against the table, excitement written across his features and visible in his jumpy form. "Misaki-chi!"he blurted, surprised by his own enthusiasm.

The voice on the other end was hesitant. _H-Hai. Aoi-chan, is that you?"_

"I need you to come over and try on something right now!"

_"Eh? Right now?"_

"Yes, right _now!"_

A nervous laugh sounded through the receiver. _"Well, actually, I'm kind of with someone else right now,"_ Misaki explained, trying not to outwardly reject the demanding boy's invitation. _"So, I can't—"_

"You're with Usui, aren't you?"

Aoi could literally _hear_ the blush that rose to her cheeks at his comment and fought back the snicker that threatened to escape him.

_"Um, n-not by choice, of course! He just made me go out with him today! I-It's definitely not a d-date, or anything!"_

Another voice joined the mix.

_"Misa-chan, are you in denial again?~"_

_"Shut up, you perverted alien!"_

Rolling his eyes, Aoi allowed only a hint of a smirk appear on his lips. Ayuzawa Misaki really was such a mess with her emotions when it came to her love for Usui Takumi, or the 'perverted alien' as she preferred to call him. It was amusing, but at the same aggravating. Why couldn't she just accept her feelings for her boyfriend?

Then again.

It wasn't as if he was any better at all that.

Sighing, the boy slumped down into his chair, one hand holding his navy fringe away from his forehead and the other holding the phone against his ear. "Gah… What should I do?" he muttered, more to himself than to the attentive older girl on the other end.

_"You know, Aoi-chan,"_ Misaki began, and Aoi could hear something weird slip into her voice. _"I think my sister would make a good model for you. She'd look pretty in your dresses!"_

There was a short pause.

_"Plus, she likes you."_

His attempt at a composed disposition failed. Aoi's fingers clenched around the phone, eyes widening, sweat drops forming on his forehead. He was sure that his heartbeat had suddenly sped up for whatever reason, blood pounding in his ears, and was only thankful that she wasn't able to hear something like that.

"W-What? She said that she _liked_ me?"

To his chagrin, Misaki laughed heartily on the other end. The smile was evident in her voice and it ticked him off.

_"Not exactly. But I know Suzuna. And I know that you like her, too."_

Fumbling with his words, the navy-haired boy angrily denied the ridiculous claim. "Of course I don't, idiot woman! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! I don't like weird girls like her!"

Misaki seemingly ignored his protests. _"Anyway! Stop by our house if you still need someone to try on your dresses—I'm sure that Suzuna wouldn't mind."_

"Don't tell me what to do, you old hag!"

_"Ja. See ya, Aoi-chan!"_

The call ended without another word. Aoi simply stood there, body slowly unfurling from its stiff defense position. His accelerated breathing returned to normal and his cobalt eyes hazed with the thoughts that raced through his mind.

Sucking in a deep breath, the boy closed his eyes.

He dialed her number again.

* * *

_"Can you ask her for me?"_

His plea sounded strained from the other end.

A knowing smile.

"Nope. Ask her yourself."

Misaki snapped her phone shut again. Pretty features danced with contentment and she held back the urge to giggle out loud, wary of the perverted alien beside her.

However, the glint of amusement in his grass green eyes mirrored her amber ones.

"Ah, young love, ne, Ayuzawa?" Usui playfully murmured.

She rolled her eyes.

"Knowing the two of them, it's probably more complicated than that."

_Good luck, Aoi-chan._

Her phone did not ring a third time.

* * *

Aoi sighed dejectedly as he stuffed his cellphone into his pocket. He had half a mind to dismiss the conversation he had just suffered through and return to his sketches, but a distractive notion like this was far too difficult to just brush aside.

He groaned.

What a stupid idea.

Misaki-chi really did give the worst advice.

* * *

_How did I get here…?_

Of all the places he could have gone and people he could have met that morning, the Ayuzawa household was at the bottom of his list.

And yet.

That was exactly where Hyōdō Aoi happened to be.

A bag of fabrics and sewing materials was slung around his shoulders, dresses piled high in his arms, and a signature scowl placed naturally on his features.

He rapped on the door.

It opened and standing there was none other than the petite dark-haired girl he had come to see. She seemed only momentarily surprised, but the look had washed off her face as quick as it had appeared.

"Good morning, Hyōdō-kun."

"'Morning," he replied in terse manner. Suzuna watched him from the doorway passively. He was growing impatient by her lack of response and shifted from one foot to the other. The dresses in arms were getting heavier by the moment.

"Can I come inside?"

Aoi had tried to say it calmly but irritation still somehow seeped into his voice. Unblinkingly, Suzuna nodded and moved from the doorway, giving him the room to step inside. Regardless of the weight he was carrying, he managed to get himself through the entrance, slipping his shoes off in the boxed area below the wood of the floorboards.

Unfortunately, one of the planks broke beneath his foot.

_"Gah!"_ Aoi cried out, nearly stumbling in the process. He looked down to see that his foot had sunk down into the floor. Struggling to get himself out, he suddenly realized that the load in his arms had disappeared.

Suzuna was standing in front of him, the pile of dresses she took from him blocking her face from his view. He could only see two arms clasped against the folded fabric before she turned around and moved down the hallway. Her black pigtails swished against her narrow shoulders and he automatically let his eyes fall down to the rest of her petite body.

Growing warm, he looked away.

She had put the dresses down on the floor, much to his dismay.

"Hey, don't put them there! You'll get them dirty!" Aoi chided, trying to pull his leg out of the hole in the ground. Suzuna turned to face him with a blank expression.

"You're stuck," she deadpanned.

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," he growled back.

The sarcasm seemed to be lost on her as she tilted her head. "I see. Well, you are."

A vein throbbed in his forehead.

"A little help?"

Suzuna nodded and walked past him. At first, Aoi thought she had abandoned him and was about to shout out angrily for her when a sudden warmth engulfed his body and left him motionless. He glanced down to find that two slender arms had wrapped themselves around his waist—she was _holding_ him. He sharply turned his head to take a glimpse of the black hair that brushed his shoulders as Suzuna bent down to yank him out of the hole.

His ears burned.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Helping you, like you asked."

_"This isn't what I meant!"_

He felt her breath against the skin of his neck and shivered slightly.

"Loosen up, Hyōdō-kun. I can't get a good grip."

Aoi truly wished to die from the humiliation at this point.

* * *

Somehow, Suzuna did manage to get him out of the hole, and somehow, he did manage to not die from the humiliation, although the last part was something that could be easily changed. After a quick and flustered explanation as to why he actually ended up visiting her, Aoi tossed Suzuna a couple of the dresses he had designed for Misaki, knowing full well that they probably wouldn't fit her.

Nevertheless, the apathetic dark-haired girl did what he asked—rather, _demanded._

Glad that she was finally out of sight, Aoi sighed. This was far too much trouble for one morning. He could have been at home designing dresses quietly and peacefully, the air around him full of focus and concentration.

Not trying to get the splinters out of his feet.

_Jeez… This is stupid! Maybe I should just go home…_

"I'm done."

Ears perking up at the voice, Aoi turned around to find Suzuna clad in one of Misaki's dresses. It was a blue one with pink ribbons decorating the cuffs and a bow tied around the waist. He would have thought she looked cute if it hadn't been for the ingrained idea that claimed that _Ayuzawa Suzuna could never be cute_, when he noticed, with exasperation, that something was off.

The dress was too big for her.

It literally hung from her petite frame, the waist and hip area drooping down to her sides and her chest was undeniably flat against the extra fabric up there. The neckline also ended up sagging further than he hoped, giving him a rather revealing review of her _underclothes._

Lowering his gaze, Aoi felt his face heat up.

"That looks awful on you," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"Hm?" She glanced down at herself in acknowledgement, pulling at the chest area with a small pout. "It's quite spacious."

"Go take it off. I need to get your measurements."

She blinked. "You made this dress, Hyōdō-kun?"

He tensed.

"So what? Is it _weird_ for a boy to make clothes?"

Before Suzuna could open her mouth to reply, he interrupted her.

"Hurry up. You're wasting time. I need to go home and sew it when I'm done with your measurements."

"Oh, I have a sewing machine in my room! You are welcome to use that."

Tea-colored eyes watched him intently.

His focus ebbed away from such a deep look, and despite his inward protests to such an idea, Aoi found that he simply could not say no to Ayuzawa Suzuna.

* * *

"Hold out your arm _higher_," he chided, placing the measuring tape against her shoulder. "I can't get a good measurement if you keep moving!"

Suzuna's expression remained blank as she adjusted her body to his whims.

"Hyōdō-kun is very talented."

"Huh?"

"Making dresses doesn't seem like an easy task," she explained. "You must have been doing it for a while, now, no?"

Aoi lowered his face from her view. "You better not be making fun of me, Suzuna."

"Why would I make fun of you?"

He proceeded to measure the length of her waist, taking note of the curve of her hips. For some reason, a tingly feeling grew in his stomach and he had to pause for a few moments before continuing. How odd… He never acted this way with any other person he measured, including Ayuzawa Misaki.

Hyōdō Aoi was not easily distracted.

And yet this strange dark-haired girl's proximity swayed him.

Hastily, Aoi handed her the measuring tape and made her to measure her own bust size. He was not willing to touch her in such an intimate area, despite the fact that it was only for her dress and nothing more, as even the thought of it made a dark heat flush across his neck and face. The effects of adolscence were probably the worst things Aoi had to go through and she certainly did not make it any easier for him.

"I like cute things, okay?" Aoi reluctantly admitted, scratching down her measurements on a notepad. "I like to design dresses and see people in them…"

He took a deep breath. "I used to wear them and post pictures on the internet, too, but now…"

"You are Aoi-chan, the famous net idol."

It was a statement, not a question.

Looking up at her, Aoi was surprised to find that she did not seem disgusted or repulsed. A small smile was placed on her pretty features, tea-colored eyes brightening in realization.

"Well, yeah—"

"I entered many of her prize contests in the magazines back then," Suzuna continued. "But I never won anything. I think the mailman got tired of delivering so many things to our house."

_She's not…_

_Surprised?_

"You know," Aoi irritably spoke. "That means that I was a cross-dresser."

"I see."

"And I made a lot of men fall in love with me."

"It couldn't have been hard; Hyōdō-kun _is_ very cute."

Aoi blushed. That was _not_ the reaction he was going for! Why couldn't this girl just act like she was supposed to when finding out his secret?

Why couldn't she just let him hate her?

* * *

"You must have many friends."

Moving to sit in front of the sewing machine in her room, Aoi pulled out the spare roll of fabric he brought with him. He began to outline her measurements with a white crayon, very aware of Suzuna's gaze from her bed.

"Nope. I have a bad personality so I don't make friends," he said at last, purposely avoiding her watchful tea-colored eyes. "I don't like anyone and nobody likes me."

_That's right. _

_I don't like anyone and nobody likes m—_

"I like you, Hyōdō-kun."

_—Eh?_

A…

_Confession?_

Aoi whipped his head back to look at her with a puzzled expression, pulse racing, voice trapped in his throat, only to find the apathetic girl staring back calmly and passively. Her amber eyes danced with amusement towards his reaction—he knew he must've looked like an idiot.

No, not a confession.

His heart dropped.

_Wait… why was I so excited, anyway?_

This was much too random to be something like a confession.

Then again, Ayuzawa Suzuna was the epitome of random. The girl could go from talking about the amount of yen she saved on a new pack of paper towels to the lost cat she fed last week to the color of her teeth after eating pomegranate seeds.

Regardless.

"Hah? You do?" he scoffed, incredulous. He furrowed his eyebrows at her in suspicion. "Even though you know I like girly things? That I make dresses? That I used to cross-dress?"

He had expected her to shrug, or turn away, or even allow some witty comeback to roll of her tongue at him—teasing of any sort.

And yet—

"Even if Hyōdō-kun does all of those things, I will still like him."

Unbelievable.

_"Why?"_

A quirk of the lips; it was an odd smile, but it somehow suited her. He suddenly realized just how much he was drawn to that particular aspect of her pretty features, whether he cared to admit it or not.

It was so rare that he found himself anticipating it often.

"Because I just do," Suzuna replied simply.

Aoi was too surprised to flush red with embarrassment at her words, something the hot-headed boy would usually do in such an awkward situation. Instead, he glared intently at Suzuna's blank expression, trying to figure out what exactly she meant by such an open-ended statement.

He found nothing.

Was she toying with him?

"Well, I don't like you," Aoi confidently declared, arms crossing over his chest. "In fact, I _hate_ you."

To his dismay, her smile did not falter.

"I know."

_Huh?_

The navy-haired boy did a double-take. She was staring at him with those large, enigmatic tea-colored eyes that held all the secrets he wished to reveal. Upon losing himself in them, Aoi felt his gaze unconsciously travel down to the rest of her face—those smooth pale cheeks, alluring rosy lips, silken-black hair, long slender neck—she was a beautiful Japanese doll to him, suddenly delicate seeming and sensual and oh, so _soft._

His face colored. _Ayuzawa Suzuna? A Japanese doll?_

_What am I thinking?_

_She is not attractive!_

Aoi forced himself to remove his eyes from the mysterious girl and returned to his work.

* * *

"You're just like Misaki-chi. She said the same thing when I told her I hated her," the navy-haired boy muttered with a needle between his teeth. He glared down at the fabric and stitched along the seams of the cuffs. It was strangely difficult to concentrate with Suzuna in the room, despite the fact that she hardly possessed a presence at all.

And yet, the very thought of her existence was distracting.

How bothersome.

Suzuna didn't look up from the magazine she was reading, carefully snipping out another prize contest. She hummed lightly in response as she opened up an envelope.

"But you don't hate her, do you?" she questioned with an aura of thoughtfulness. "Truthfully, Hyōdō-kun has a crush on Onee-chan."

_E-Excuse me?_

Ignoring the heat that had crawled up his neck from the comment, Aoi snorted.

"Came up with that all on your own, huh? Well, you're wrong. I don't like that old hag at all," he declared self-assuredly. "Besides, she has Usui."

"Are you jealous?"

She was watching him intently now.

_Well…_

_Am I?_

"…No."

His voice had suddenly shifted from irritation to an odd tone of contentedness.

"Misaki-chi is cutest when she is with him, after all. That part of her, when she is so happy and angry and shy at the same time… I don't hate that part about her."

He noticed the knowing smile that had spread across the dark-haired girl's features at this point and frowned.

"Why are you smiling?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Aoi grumbled out as he clumsily stitched a button into place.

Wait.

Since when was Hyōdō Aoi, master at making clothes, _clumsy_?

He raised an eyebrow.

_What's happening to me?_

* * *

_"Tsundere."_

A vein appeared in his forehead. Twitching, he reluctantly turned around to glare at the owner of the quiet, emotionless voice.

"What the hell are you talking about now?" he grumbled, annoyed to have been interrupted from his momentum once again. He was never going to finish with all of these disruptions!

Suzuna was flipping through the pages of a manga with little regard to him. At last, she gestured to a panel of an angry-looking girl with lines scratched over her cheeks, symbolizing the Japanese cartoon way of blushing. The character was crossing her arms with her head lowered in a seemingly obvious pose of humiliation and disgust.

"You remind me of a tsundere character in this manga," she apathetically explained. She did not seem to notice Aoi's blistering fury as she glanced back down at the page, bringing a finger to her lip in thought.

"Hmm… But, Hyōdō-kun is much cuter than this girl."

At that moment, Aoi wanted nothing more than to throw a pair of scissors at a certain dark-haired imp. He was sure by now that his face was the color of tomato that had been dropped on the pavement, a deep red, and it took all of his willpower not to shout and give her the satisfaction she wanted.

Hyōdō Aoi was most certainly _not_ like a tsundere manga character.

And he'd prove it to her.

* * *

"Hyōdō-kun."

Silence.

He tried to ignore her.

"Hyōdō-kun."

A low sigh.

Placing his foot on the pedal, he diligently sewed the dress in an attempt to block out her voice.

_"Hyōdō-kun!"_

A yelp.

The button slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. Even at his last straw, he willed himself not to give in to the distraction. He was not going to give in, he was not going to give in, he was _not going to give in…_

"Hyō—"

_"What?"_

_Crap._

Aoi certainly was not making this easy for himself. Even so, Suzuna didn't seem to mind the aggravation that slipped out into his voice; the apathy in her own tone made it difficult for him to deduce anything about her at all.

She watched him quietly for a few moments before uttering a single sentence, void of any emotion.

"Can I call you 'Tsundere-kun'?"

Cobalt eyes blazed.

_"Hell no!"_

Amber ones seemed to glimmer.

"Got it, Tsundere-kun."

There it was; that blasted smile. Groaning, Aoi's palm met his forehead in exasperation.

_Damn her._

* * *

A loud thud resonated from downstairs.

"I think Onee-chan is home," Suzuna suddenly exclaimed, hopping off the bed. She gave the boy a blank stare. "I'll come back in a few minutes."

He grunted. "Please, don't."

Suzuna hadn't seemed to have heard him, already out the door. With her gone, Aoi finally had a chance to breathe freely. Since when had it become so suffocating being in the same room with someone else? This was not normal. Nobody should have been able to pull his attention away from his work so easily.

It wasn't because of _her_, was it?

He was just having a bad day…

Right?

"Aoi-chan!" Ayuzawa Misaki exclaimed brightly as she entered the room. "I knew you'd be here!"

Settling for a quick nod of acknowledgment, he continued to work, paying the older girl no mind. He was left a little confused. How could he easily ignore Misaki when he could barely think straight with her younger sister in the room?

It simply didn't make sense.

The sound of a door opening entered his ears once again.

"Onee-chan," a familiar feminine voice spoke.

Aoi stiffened.

"Okaa-san is back from shopping and is asking if you'd like something to eat."

"Thanks, Suzuna. I'll go talk to her."

Now that Misaki had gone and left the two alone, Aoi was painfully aware of the fact that the apathetic dark-haired girl had turned to stare at him. It took him all his strength to continue concentrating on the dress. Somehow, with her presence back in the room, all his focus faded away like the wind.

How did she do it?

"Hyōdō-kun?"

He flinched.

No, he would not give her the satisfaction of his attention. He was busy right now. No more interruptions. No more distractions—

"Tsundere-kun?"

_"I told you not to call me that, dammit!"_

Her rare tinkling laugh sent a shiver down his spine. This dress would never get done. It all became clear to him, the cause behind his lack of focus—the answer was simple one that he desperately hoped would not exist.

Few things distracted a busy Hyōdō Aoi.

He hated to admit it

But…

Ayuzawa Suzuna was one of them.


	5. E if for Equilibrium

**A/N: A bit long like the last one. But I wanted to fit both sides into one chapter, hence the title. Thanks again for the suggestions, especially Padfoot Starfyre! I put a few of them in this one (enigma, eye, elude), so as to not leave out too many of your ideas, haha!**

**Anyway, please read and review; it puts a smile on my face to know that people enjoy my story. ^_^ Thanks a lot! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**E** is for **Equilibrium**

_n. 1) a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced_

_.*.*.*._

* * *

Together, they formed equilibrium.

Two parts of a whole.

* * *

.*.*.*.

_"Hm. Interesting."_

Ayuzawa Suzuna was an enigma.

He knew this from the moment he met her, never being able to get pass those subtle shifts in her undeniably pretty features—whether it was a small twist of the lips, a raised eyebrow, a wrinkle of the nose—especially those large, clear, and completely unreadable amber eyes that captured his own and always made him lose his train of thought.

He hated it when that happened.

Losing control.

It was almost as if she did it on purpose, putting on a mask and letting things slip just to make him stop and wonder if he really did see it at all.

Everyone knew that she was the exact opposite of her older sister. Serene, composed, and able to remain passive even when insulted or in danger. She was so unlike Misaki whose temper flared at the smallest comment directed at her self-proclaimed leadership role.

He envied her ability to be so cool, calm and collected.

Compared to her, he realized that he was an open book. She managed to pull on his strings every chance she got. Denial, defiance, distress, she saw through each one of them so simply and effortlessly twirled him around her finger.

She was ripping him apart at the seams; madness engulfed him.

And the worst part was, perhaps, that he found he didn't mind it all that much.

* * *

"Something is bothering you," she said in that calm, quiet voice of hers and he could only wonder how she'd seen through his well-played façade.

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

Denial was his forté.

"You seem troubled. Do you want to talk about it?"

Of course he didn't.

"…No. Nothing is bothering me."

The lie slipped from his lips with ease.

He was sure it would fool anyone.

She stared at him with that same undecipherable expression that may have contained perhaps a hint of compassion and nodded.

"Okay, Hyōdō-kun."

Tea-colored eyes dimmed.

Perceptiveness.

_She already knows, doesn't she?_

* * *

"And then I—_eh_—what are you smiling at?" he muttered through clenched teeth as he looked to her.

Her smile was elusive as always and he desperately wished he could understand why her lips curled up at the most peculiar moments in their conversations. She only gazed back at him, unfazed by his accusing glare, her smirk ever so certain.

"You," she said simply.

_"Me?"_

Disbelief laced his voice.

"Hyōdō-kun's eyes change color when he blushes. It's interesting to see."

"Wha-? _Don't be stupid, Suzuna!"_

But the pure rarity of her laugh only sent a shiver up his spine, making him flush even harder.

_Dammit._

* * *

_"You won a whole box of cantaloupes?"_

A blank stare.

He truly couldn't tell whether she was joking or not.

"Yes. They came yesterday, but there are too many for me to eat alone."

"…I find that hard to believe."

Her lips had twitched at the comment, displaying an unusual amount of irritation, but she concealed it well with a small smile.

A smile that he managed to see through.

"Fine! If you're asking me to come, I'll come!" he replied with a goaded sigh, crossing his arms. "But only if you try on the dresses I made last night, Suzuna!"

Her smile became genuine.

"Deal."

He could not stop the thoughts that whizzed through his head.

_Ugh._

_Why does she have to be so cute?_

* * *

"Why do you do that, Suzuna?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"You know. Act so emotionless all of the time."

"I do that?"

_"Yes! You're doing it right now!"_

"Am I?"

"Gah! Forget it!"

"What's the matter?"

"I just can't win with you!"

"…Hyōdō-kun?"

_"What?"_

"It's because I'm scared."

A blink.

"…What?"

Her eyes met his, amber slicing into cobalt. A fluttery feeling arose in his chest and he found it more and more difficult to focus on anything except the hypnotizing sea of honey in her eyes. Her words echoed in his mind, clear and quiet like her voice.

She was scared?

Of what?

"Never mind. See you tomorrow, Hyōdō-kun."

He was left with the memory of that calm, inscrutable gaze as he watched her leave.

_I'll never understand her._

* * *

It was becoming increasingly less difficult to see what she was thinking, but he often forgot the fact that he probably seemed very strange each time he paused in the middle of a conversation to observe her apathetic mask.

He uttered out something just to test the waters.

To his satisfaction, he saw the momentary lapse in the girl's expression in which her amber eyes had widened and a barely visible hue of pink colored her cheeks.

He smirked.

The shift was only for a second before she shook of the surprise away and returned his gaze with a curious one, eyes dimming back to soft tea color.

"You're teasing me, aren't you, Hyōdō-kun?"

"Of course not."

"Liar."

He noticed that his suave, cocky grin had made her turn her face away for the first time.

_Finally._

_Success._

* * *

He glanced up from the bench, hands stuffed in his pockets.

The streetlight illuminated her petite figure in the darkness.

"Why are you wearing that?"

Quirking an eyebrow at her, he gestured to her jacket, flattering blouse, and wispy white skirt, noting the way it seemed to hang off of her developing hips and flutter between her long, slender legs. The thought made him feel unusually hot, even in this chilly weather, and he gazed down at her sandals instead.

"I thought that you liked this sort of clothing," she said.

He flushed, scowling. "B-But you're making it seem like we're on a date or something!"

_Crap. What am I saying?_

"Aren't we?"

_"Of course not, stupid!"_

"Oh? Should I change into something else, then?"

"Gah, no! I mean, erm, your appearance—you look prett—_not ugly, for once, okay?"_

A quiet laugh sounded from in front of him he raised his head to see her holding a hand over her mouth in an attempt to conceal her grin. As rare as it was to see her smile, she never seemed to hold back when she truly found something funny and it flustered him to no end, partly because she looked so damn _cute_ giggling like that.

He hated it when she teased him like that.

_"What?"_

"Nothing, nothing," she murmured, a shadow of amusement still lingering on her lips. She moved down to sit beside him on the bench before he could protest. "But don't you think that there's more to someone besides their appearance?"

Scooting away, he slouched into the collar of his coat. "Not really."

"You're saying that what you see on the surface is enough? You can figure out someone just like that?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and craned his head to look at her.

"Human beings are pretty easy to read."

"Anyone?"

She was giving him that usual poker-faced stare with the big amber eyes that somehow always made him fall silent. A slight breeze sent a shiver up his spine as he sat there, trying to find any sign of emotion in those hypnotizing tea-colored pools.

After a moment, it became too much for him and so he forced himself to look away. She only continued to watch him, clearly not deterred by his discomfort.

"Hm?"

"Okay, not anyone!" he growled, muscles tense. "I can never tell what you're thinking, Suzuna! Is that what you want to hear?"

"Is that what I want to hear…?"

Her words were a whisper and yet he heard them with ease. They were not directed at him, no, rather, she was looking down into her lap and asking herself. He simply waited.

"No."

Fingers grasped the fabric of his coat and he turned to her with inquisitive eyes.

"I want you to see me."

"S-Suzu… na…?"

She closed her eyes.

He watched her with a weary expression, unable to decipher her blank look. He felt his face heat up when she moved closer to him, resting her palm on his knee and gently leaning her body against his own.

Frozen with anxiety, he eventually managed to choke out words.

"What… are you doing… Suzuna?" he asked, ashamed with the way his voice cracked because of the stress. He felt awkward with her so close and didn't know whether to push her off or just sit there; his fingers picked at the insides of his pockets as anxiety gripped his sides.

"Nothing in particular."

To his surprise, she shivered ever so slightly and pulled her jacket close around her thin frame.

He pushed down the impulse to fidget.

"…Are you cold?"

A tiny smile graced the girl's lips, one that made her companion's stomach flutter involuntarily. It was a genuine one and she rarely used it around anyone other than him, but he could sense a hint of mischievousness in it and knew that she was doing it on purpose.

"Yes."

He gulped. Hesitantly, as if afraid he may burn himself from touching her, he grazed her back with his arm, only to pull back out of panic. All the while he thought of how bad he was with affection and wanted desperately to just jump up and run, despite the fact that somewhere deep inside him, he, reluctantly, _liked_ this contact.

It sickened him.

How could he feel so strongly for one person? Unless it was out of spite, he had no reason for it.

He wanted to hate her. He really did.

But she never seemed to let it happen.

The girl beside him relented easily, leaning her head in close enough that he could smell the cherry blossom fragrance in her soft, black, hair. He had the sudden, strange urge to run his fingers through it and immediately felt stupid, turning his head away to rid his mind of such thoughts.

He yanked his shoulder quickly out from under her.

"This is dumb. We're supposed to be at my aunt's dinner party—and you better not forget that this is definitely _not_ a date or anything lame like that, okay?" he muttered, voice cold but face aflame, half-expecting her to protest and get irritated by his lack of sociability. Instead, he tentatively turned back to face her only to find his friend smiling gently, eyebrows slightly raised in that inquisitive way of hers.

"Yes," she repeated calmly, but this time, he couldn't interpret the expression in her face and voice. It bothered him, when she was like this, but at the same time, he only wanted to get closer and just find out what she was thinking.

"I'm only required to bring one person, along. That's it," he reassured and it was directed more himself than to her.

"I understand."

"If anyone asks you, just say—"

"Let's _go,_ Hyōdō-kun."

She softly grasped his arm and pulled him up, and he yielded to her touch, still in a slight trance from her previous deep and unreadable, soul-searching gaze. He stumbled behind her and pulled free from her grip, closing his open mouth, and stood straight as he watched her walk on a few paces ahead of him. Her gait was steady and her dark pigtails blew lightly in the gust of wind but it did nothing to help him understand her or her actions.

Why did she lean on him like that if she didn't care that they weren't on a date?

After a few moments, he let out a breath of defeat.

_Dammit._

It was of no use.

Ayuzawa Suzuna was an enigma—she puzzled him.

_"Oi, wait up! You can't just walk off by yourself, dummy!"_

_"You're so slow, Tsundere-kun!"_

_"Why, you—! Get back here!"_

But it was his desire to solve the riddle behind those lovely amber eyes that had finally pushed him to walk up alongside the mysterious girl in the darkness of the night.

_"What's interesting? Are you messing with me?"_

.*.*.*.

* * *

Together, they formed equilibrium.

Two parts of a whole.

* * *

.*.*.*.

_"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."_

Hyōdō Aoi was expressive.

It was almost like watching a film in which one could tell what the main character was thinking from the way their expressions shifted at the slightest of things. Each turn of events resulted in a new emotion, a new feeling that appeared in the smallest areas of his undeniablyhandsome facial features that somehow managed to make her chest tighten, an involuntary action she didn't quite understand.

She always wondered why she felt so… _jumpy_ around him. A thousand flutters erupted in her stomach, heartbeat racing, body heating up.

Not that anyone ever noticed; her reactions were always subtle.

Unlike his.

Suzuna could see that Aoi desperately tried to remain stagnant and stubborn around her, often turning his face away when he was angry or embarrassed to hide the tell-tale curves of his lips.

She envied his ability to be so passionate and full of emotions.

It always intrigued and impressed Suzuna how easily he could go from emotion to emotion. He never bored her, even when he appeared to be calm, as that glint of fiery expression always shone through his deep cobalt eyes, regardless of the amount of effort he put in hiding it.

However.

For him.

She played along, anyway.

* * *

"Let's walk home together today, Hyōdō-kun."

She presented the idea in her usual fashion; pokerfaced.

He froze at her words, eyes suddenly widening in realization. Behind a flurry of hands trying to jam the books into his bag as well as a glower that somehow found its way onto his features, she could see that he was avoiding her gaze.

"Sure," he offhandedly replied.

His eyebrows were pushed together in a restless, almost angry, manner, the ends of his mouth pulled down into an obvious scowl, teeth digging into his bottom lip. Anger… or nervousness, perhaps?

But why?

A questioning tilt of the head.

_What does this mean?_

* * *

Tea-colored eyes stared at nothing in particular. It was one of those rare moments. Deep thought, inattentive stance, fingers and palm curled under her chin as she watched the window from her seat.

"Hey."

No response.

A hand blurred before her eyes. She looked up and gave him her attention.

"You okay?" Concern was visible in every crevice of his face, whether he cared to admit it or not.

Hesitation. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

The suspicious glint in those expressive eyes somehow made her feel uneasy. He seemed to be assessing her, trying to get past the emotionless mask she wore. Her chest fluttered with an odd emotion. How could he have possibly noticed?

She faked a smile.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

He didn't look convinced.

_Please don't make me—_

_I'm afraid to say it._

* * *

"…Maybe you can show me any new dresses you've made this week?" she offered mildly, on a walk home from school, only wanting to erase the frown that permanently creased his mouth.

Instantly, he jerked his head up again with excitement twinkling in those deep cobalt eyes and his frown curved into something of a smile. At this, the girl could feel her heart skip a beat, as another strange sensation coursed through her veins.

Those lips.

He was grinning at her, truly _grinning_.

And it was absolutely dazzling.

"Seriously? You actually want to see them?"

She could only nod. He had taken her breath away.

"Great! Let's go, now!"

She tensed.

"Hyōdō-kun, you're…"

"Eh? What did you say, Suzuna?"

She looked down. He followed suit.

His incredible smile did not falter until he realized that he had once again grasped her hand on impulse. Pulling it away, he whipped his head to the side and flushed. "S-Sorry."

His warmth vanished. She wished she hadn't said anything.

"It's alright."

_No. It's not._

_Smile for me again._

* * *

"You're tired."

"No, I'm not."

"You were yawning."

_"No, I wasn't."_

"You want to go to sleep."

"_No, I don't!"_

His nostrils flared, droopy cobalt eyes flashing with passion. Even amid the dark circles than lined his lower lids and the blatant exhaustion seeping from those too-tired-to-frown lips, he somehow managed to have enough energy to argue with her.

"Here."

She slid his homework towards herself and picked up a pencil.

"I'll do it. Take a break."

His eyebrows furrowed for only a moment before he sighed, resting his head on his arms crossed across the desk. Eyelids growing heavy, he wasted no time in shutting himself off. She almost heard it—she wanted to hear it—she _needed_ to hear it.

"Thanks, Suzuna."

A sercetive smile had crossed his features as he whispered the words.

Yes. She was sure she heard it.

_No, problem, Hyōdō-kun._

* * *

Concentration was etched across his face and his pencil never left the paper, arm sweeping dramatically and skillfully. His knuckles turned white from the pressure and passion he put in his work, sketching another brilliant design.

"Are you done?"

Interruption; blinking surprise.

A growl.

_"No._ Leave me alone."

"Why?"

His scowl grew.

"You're annoying."

Knowing that she was the one to cause the glower that sat on his lips, she tried a different approach and smiled in that way of hers; the one he didn't understand—the one he hated. At once, his angry features shifted—wide cobalt eyes, a slightly open mouth, red heat spreading across his cheeks.

Such a tease.

She realized that she liked this expression of his the most.

_Perfect._

* * *

"Did you hear about the 70% off sale at the supermarket after school?"

He had only stared at her, raising an eyebrow as he ate from his bento. The two sat together in the bustling classroom during lunch break. It was becoming a regular thing and despite his continuous reminders to her that he didn't sit with her because he enjoyed it or anything, she didn't mind.

That was it.

She never minded.

"Of course, not," he spoke in an uninterested manner. "That sounds boring. Besides, who cares?"

His expression was that of carelessness, eyes half-lidded and lips pressed into a line. She ignored the words that left his mouth—no; she accepted them but she did not linger on them. He was hardly truthful and she was aware of that.

But his eyes never lied.

They were blazing as they spoke.

_I care._

"Come with me."

The chopsticks stopped inches away from his open mouth, rice hanging from between the tips of the wooden rods. She realized she was being too direct. Normally, she'd have asked politely and nodded when he refused, but at that moment, impulse got the better of her quiet level-headedness and before she knew it, she had already uttered the words.

"What do you mean?"

There was hesitance; she could see it in his face, hear it in his voice. There was an air of suspicion, discomfort, _surprise_.

_I mean what I say. I always mean what I say._

"After school," she said with a blank look. "Let's go to the supermarket, Hyōdō-kun. You may be able to find something there to suit your needs, too."

"Stop telling me what to do," he griped, chewing on the rice that had previously been stopped from entering his mouth. "I'll go where I want, when I want to."

"But, it's a one-time sale," she continued, and although she felt desperation, she concealed it well with her emotionless tone. "Surely, Hyōdō-kun doesn't want to miss out on something like that."

A snort. "Don't compare me with the likes of you, Suzuna. We're two completely different people with completely different interests."

She nodded.

_And?_

"And?"

His jaw tightened, teeth visible behind frowning lips. She sensed frustration and wondered if she was being overly pushy. It wasn't her fault. She knew they were completely different. But from the moment they met, she was drawn to him.

Her heart was beating mercilessly fast in her chest. Why was she always so persistent around him?

Adamant, yes. Unwavering, of course. Resolute, without a doubt.

But, persistent?

It was unlike her.

"You—"

"Does Hyōdō-kun hate me?"

He froze again, obviously not expecting a comment like _that_. She was watching him fixedly with large tea-colored eyes, keen, absorbed. To her surprise, his eyes widened in an almost anxious manner. At once, he waved his hands in front of him, nostrils flaring, cobalt fire flickering.

"N-No! I mean, yes! Wait, no, I mean," he frantically spoke, unsure of himself. "It's…"

_It's what? _

_What is it?_

"Hyō—"

"It's not like I hate you, Suzuna!"

She blinked as he blushed heavily, crossing his arms and closing his tell-tale eyes. _"Jeez! _You really are an idiot, sometimes!"

"I don't understand."

He rolled his eyes. The flush was slowly increasing across his cheekbones and she couldn't help but marvel at how cute he could be at times. The impulse to laugh wracked her insides but she managed to keep an aura of solemnity—she was almost there, just a little more of a push was needed.

"But, it's not like I like you either, so don't even think about it for a second," he grumbled. A sigh escaped his lips. "You're simply someone I associate it with because…"

"Because?"

She was anticipating his usual reaction; a comment on her obnoxiousness, a demand to end the conversation, a disgusted turn of the head, something along those lines.

"Because you're similar to me."

Not anything like that.

His cobalt eyes locked with her amber ones, face slowly losing its flushed appearance, mouth pressed into a stern line. She noticed the way his brow crinkled, ever so slightly; nervousness. The way he visibly swallowed, the way he tensed from the atmosphere he had created. Heartbeat quickening, she simply stared at him.

Deciphering him.

He was _serious_.

Her mouth twisted up into an impish grin.

"I recall you saying that 'we're two completely different people'."

The color returned to him. Aggravation. "W-We are! I'm just… thinking of something different, okay?"

She was going to question him when something in the way he was breathless stopped her. He was trying to make her understand; she paused to listen.

"We _are_ different, that's right. But, at the same time, we're similar. Eh, it's hard to explain. I guess you could say that we're both weird in our own ways, you know? I'm the guy with the girly hobbies and you're the, erm, _robot."_

She didn't even mind that fact that he had called her a robot. All she could think about was how _right_ he was—they were similar in that way, weren't they? Upon seeing how flustered her friend was, she nodded her head understandingly.

"Yes. I agree."

He glowered. "That's fantastic."

The bell suddenly rang, interrupting her from the thoughts she wished to voice, and he seemed relieved to finally be away from her.

"Um, so you know," he muttered as he cleaned up his area and stood up. "I… I don't hate you, okay, Suzuna? I was just being—I don't know—_just…_ never mind, forget it. I know I say it a lot, but I don't _really_ hate you that much."

His face had reddened from his stubborn confession and his eyes were kept downcast as he hurried towards the door. The bento was thrown into the trash, his uniform straightened. However, despite the calmness of his stance, she could tell that his ears were on fire from her view of the back of his head. Wide tea-colored eyes slowly returned to their original size. She was aware of the hint of pink covering her own cheeks.

Ah, so, he really didn't hate her, even though he always told her that?

After a few moments, she let a silly smile dance across her features.

_Remarkable._

It was beyond her understanding.

Hyōdō Aoi was expressive—he fascinated her.

_"So, is that a yes to the supermarket?"_

_"Gah, fine! Just leave me alone!"_

_"Whatever you say."_

But it was her desire to bring out the truth behind those fiery cobalt eyes that had finally pushed her to walk up alongside the hot-headed boy in the luster of the day.

_"Is it dumb? I actually find it kind of nice."_

.*.*.*.

* * *

The hidden; the revealed. The quiet; the loud. The honest; the liar.

Together, they formed equilibrium.

Two parts of a whole.

The _enigma_.

And.

The _expressive_.


	6. F is for Festival

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! But it's the _longest chapter yet_; just a little treat. ;) Also, the reason it's so long if because I'm trying to add a bit of character development on Aoi's part; he needs to realize his feelings already, dang it! xD (The time annotations are exclusively for this chapter to show how it leads up to midnight) Thanks for the lovely sugestions, and as always, don't hesitate to offer more! **

**I set this during the time period in Ch 82 of the manga. I also stole a few lines from that chapter, but it's nothing to obvious. On a side note, I don't hate Hinata like Aoi does; its for the sake of the writing that we refer to him as the airhead. Then again, he really _is_ a bit of an airhead.**

**Anyway, read on! Please review! :3**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

.*.*.*.

**F** is for **Festival**

_n. 1) day or period of celebration, often one of religious or cultural significance_

.*.*.*.

* * *

12:28 pm.

December 31st. Ōmisoka.

New Year's Eve.

_Today. _

The festival was beginning.

It had come as a surprise to him that afternoon. Satsuki had come upstairs earlier and spoke excitedly to him about her plans to prepare a spectacular meal for that night and that he should invite any of his friends over to eat with them. Despite his lack of people he called friends, Aoi had truly contemplated the notion and had been ready to think of someone to bring when the words she spoke after that made him change his mind in the snap of a finger.

"Oh, and feel free to bring that pretty girlfriend of yours, too!"

"Eh?

He furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled. Girlfriend? Surely, his aunt didn't mean—

"Suza-chan! You _are_ planning to spend the evening with her, ne, Aoi-chan?" Satsuki asked with a hint of knowingness in her lighthearted tone. Her large cerulean eyes danced with excitement at the suggestion while her nephew's cobalt ones widened in alarm, instead.

_"Wha—?_ Hell no! Why would I want to spend time with a weirdo like her?"

"But, she asked me specifically to tell you to go to the shrine at six tonight; all your friends are going to be there!"

"Feh. You've got it all wrong, Satsuki-san. They're _not_ my friends and Suzuna is definitely not my _girlfriend;_ that's _disgusting_. She's onlya girl I know."

Aoi crossed his arms as he spoke, clearly disgruntled at his aunt's wild assumptions.

"Ho, ho~! Whatever you say, my dear boy! Just remember—there's no escaping love; you can't run away forever!"

"Please leave now."

_Slam._

_Click._

The door closed in seconds. As the blood that had rushed up to his face at his boisterous aunt's comments slowly drained, Aoi slumped down on to his mattress with a sigh of relief. A calendar stared at him from its place on the wall and he still managed to be surprised. Was it already the end of the year? It had gone by so fast! He glanced about his room, at the messy pile of abandoned fabrics that donned his desk and the sewing machine that sat in a secluded corner, the box of buttons and thread spilling over the floor beside it.

A frown marred his features.

Japanese tradition called the house to be clean before the beginning of a new year.

Groaning, Aoi ran a hand through his navy locks, shutting his eyes in frustration. In the brevity of the act, his mind had wandered elsewhere, and he unconsciously thought about if Suzuna was also in the midst of tidying up her own home.

Wait.

Why on earth was he thinking about _her?_

Satsuki's words came reeling back. _You're planning to spend the evening with her, ne, Aoi-chan?_

Before Aoi could push away these thoughts with disgust, something formed in the pit of his stomach. It was similar to anticipation; a queasy sort of feeling that probed his insides and made his palms clammy. He narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the phone on his bedside.

Suzuna had invited him to join her at the shrine; she had actually _wanted_ for him to hang out with her on the New Year's Eve festival.

Would it really be that bad if he considered his aunt's suggestion and went?

The dread in chest grew.

_Dammit! I'm such an idiot! Of course, I shouldn't go. Besides…_

Aoi closed his eyes again.

_She's already going with a few other friends… Maybe even another guy…_

Something stirred within him.

_Another guy?_

He didn't like the sound of that. After all, it wasn't as if Suzuna was a _completely_ ugly specimen of the female gender. He was painfully aware of her fair share of admirers—especially those bunch of airheads that always followed her around school in their idiotic love-struck gait. She never noticed, though; either that or she just didn't care, always brushing their come-ons with ease and ignoring the way they swooned over her natural disposition.

So, why did it bother him so much?

Then again, she did hang around that Shintani Hinata, sometimes—the guy who loved her sister with all his heart…

Aoi gritted his teeth.

She better not have invited _him_.

_"Aoi-chan! Please come down and help me prepare for tonight!"_

His aunt's voice rang from downstairs, interrupting the conflicted boy from his thoughts. Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly picked himself off of his bed and grimaced at the thought of cleaning. Nevertheless, the former cross-dresser pushed aside his qualms and stepped downstairs.

* * *

12:43 pm.

"…Satsuki-san, I've been thinking…" he started as he watched his aunt wash the dishes from his place near the kitchen door. "About what you said earlier…"

The small violet-haired woman spun around on her toes, a soap sodden pan dripping from one hand and a sponge clutched in the other. An aura of flowery wonder radiated from her petite form, causing the navy-haired boy to begin to regret his decision in speaking to her.

_"You're going to accept your girlfriend's invitation?"_

Yes, now he truly regretted speaking to her.

A violent flush spread through his body as Aoi denied the absurd idea. "No! Like I said, she's just a frie—I mean, a _girl_ I know!"

"Aw, Aoi-chan was about to say friend! I wonder how long it will be when he'll finally refer to her as his _girlfriend_…"

_"Gah! Stop talking as if I can't hear you!"_

Satsuki laughed. She rinsed the pan underneath a stream of water from the faucet and gave her nephew an inquisitive glance.

"Have you decided, then? Do you want to go the shrine tonight?"

He shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a break from my tailoring this year…"

_"Great!"_

The pan was left forgotten in the sink and a gust of wind blew as the small violet-haired woman raced out of the room.

"Where… _Where are you going, Satsuki-san?"_

"To call and tell my brother you're becoming manlier!"

"No! Don't do _that!"_

Cobalt eyes flashed with desperation and the sound of footsteps were heard thumping up the stairs.

A sigh.

_Just fantastic._

_I'm an idiot._

* * *

5: 38 pm.

He was planning on leaving the house earlier, but a certain moe-obsessed aunt of his made sure his entire room was spotless, despite the fact that he had secretly hid most of his work under his bed for easy access. The sky had already begun to darken, the afternoon sun slowly sinking behind a misty horizon. It was cold; large puffs of air escaped his mouth with each breath and Aoi desperately wished he had heeded Satsuki's advice and wore gloves.

He bit back the urge to groan.

It was New Year's Eve. He needed to relax.

Aoi was buttoned up in a dark brown coat, stuffing a maroon colored knit cap on his head at the last moment as he raced out of his aunt's house. Fingers curled into his pockets, grasping at the fabric inside and muffling his mouth behind a blue scarf—one he received from Suzuna on Christmas just a few days ago—Aoi stepped hastily over the pavement in an attempt to arrive quickly to the shrine. He wondered if Suzuna and her friends were already there. He would look stupid being late and he didn't want that.

_Suzuna._

Her name resonated through his head.

_Dammit._

He didn't like this.

He was thinking about her again.

* * *

6:14 pm.

By the time he arrived, the sun had already begun to set.

Dozens of people bustled around him, crowding together near the stalls and shrines for prayers. Aoi normally despised events like these, surrounded by such tiresome people.

But tonight was different.

He came for _her_.

Lanterns glowed on lines above him, illuminating the dark street and allowing him the light to make out the faces of the ones he was supposed to meet up. Three figures. Two females, short dark hair, serious composure and glasses, wavy pink hair tied in high pigtails, small stature and a cheerful smile. The last was a fairly tall male with brown hair and a thin scar under his right eye.

"Yo… Are you…?"

The pink-haired girl turned around to face him, her soft pinkish-brown orbs lighting up.

"Oh! You must be the cute boy Suzuna was talking about! Hyōdō Aoi-kun, right?"

_Cute? She called me… cute?_

_That's the worst thing she could have said!_

"Y-Yeah…"

She bowed shortly, followed by the other two.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hanazono Sakura!"

"Kaga Shizuko. It's a pleasure."

"We're Misaki and Suzuna's friends!"

Aoi pushed himself to smile. These people seemed nice enough, despite their lack of fashion sense. He had half a mind to scold them about it when he remembered that he needed to make a good first impression. Even so, he wasn't well-versed when it came to small-talk and found himself looking over their shoulders to see if Suzuna was there.

Instead, his gaze landed on the older male from earlier, the one with the brown hair and innocent looking eyes. The awkward upward curl of lips that Aoi had forced himself to make was immediately dropped in replacement for something more sinister.

_"You…"_

"Ah, Hyōdō Aoi, right? Remember me? I'm Shintani Hinata from school; I sometimes talk to Suzuna-chan and you."

Rolling his eyes, Aoi scoffed. "How could I forget an idiot like you?"

To his dismay, Hinata laughed. Those mirthful brown eyes that had once clouded in confusion at Aoi's comments had finally cleared away in realization to the constant coldness he faced from the younger boy.

"You know, she must like you a lot to put up with all of that."

_"What did you say?"_

Sensing the tension between the two, Shizuko stepped in and laid a hand gently on Aoi's shoulder. Her intelligent grey eyes, though hidden behind her glasses sheen, watched intently at the blistering expression that sizzled across the boy's almost-feminine features. She observed the way those cobalt eyes seemed to glow in response to Hinata.

Jealousy? Possessiveness, perhaps?

Internal conflict, Shizuko concluded, due to Shintani-kun's attachment to Suzuna-chan—this boy must have been pretty fond of her.

A raised eyebrow.

Such silly teenagers.

She spoke in hushed tones, "Don't pay Shintani-kun much mind; he's a bit of an airhead."

At length, Aoi returned the older girl's watchful gaze with a brief nod and turn of the head.

"Whatever."

Shizuko noted the way his lower lip was stuck out in a pout and could finally see what Suzuna was talking about when she mentioned how 'cute' Aoi was.

"So," Sakura started. "I wonder where Suzuna-chan is… Hopefully, she managed to get Misaki-chan out of the house as well. She even told me that she had some sort of plan to trick her into visiting her boyfriend's house! Isn't that totally sneaky? She is so adorable!"

Aoi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at her words.

Suzuna… _sneaky? _

_And adorable?_

Were they even talking about the same people?

Hinata frowned. "Misaki-chan works too hard. She needs to take a break once in a while. But, it's not fair that Usui has her to himself all the time…" he whined and the younger navy-haired boy only barely managed to stifle his impulse to kick the airhead in the shin.

"Well, they _are_ dating," Shizuko pointed out and the ever-so-hopeful Hinata gave her a miserable look.

"I know… I just wish she'd realize how much I love her!"

A snort.

All eyes fell on the owner of the noise.

"What is it, Aoi-kun?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Aoi managed to keep a casual expression on his face but anyone who truly knew him would have been able to decipher the fire in his cobalt eyes. "Nothing much. I just think that lover boy over here is way over his head."

"Huh?" Hinata asked, doe-eyes narrowed in bewilderment.

"Love is stupid. It's a pointless emotion."

_There's no need for it._

"It's for losers."

Shizuko stayed silent but her mind raced with thoughts. Contradiction? Hypocrisy? Denial?

Hyōdō Aoi-kun was quite a strange boy.

"That's not true!" Sakura exclaimed, her mind instantly reverting to her long-time crush on Sakurai Kūga, the lead vocalist of her favorite indie rock band. Pinkish-brown eyes danced with hope. "Love is a wonderful thing! Everyone deserves it!"

"Pah… Don't infect me with that mushy stuff. Not everyone deserves it."

_I don't deserve it._

"…That's pretty depressing, isn't it?" Hinata murmured and Shizuko nodded in agreement. With her lower lip stuck out, Sakura looked as though she wanted to say more but knowing Shizuko, she's only be scolded if she brought up Kūga.

Something in the distance caught her eyes. Romantic ideas left forgotten, her pink pigtails bounced up in excitement and her mouth instantly widened into a broad grin.

"Ah! Look, it's Suzuna-chan!"

The other two looked over and smiled all the same. Footsteps slapped over the pavement, stopping abruptly before the four. Aoi kept his eyes lowered but he could hear the soft pants said dark-haired girl made—she had obviously just finished running and was trying to catch her breath. Her usual calm voice came out in slightly ragged clumps, void of adequate oxygen; Aoi was surprised to hear it. It challenged her natural smoothness.

"Sorry… I'm a little late…"

_Ha, no kidding._

Aoi raised his head, prepared to bark out some snappy comeback, when his eyes nearly fell from his head out at the sight.

There stood Ayuzawa Suzuna, a lovely scarlet-colored kimono flowing from her petite body, face flushed from her haste to be on time. Blue violet floral designs embellished the hem of her kimono, matching her outer robes and bringing out the amber color in her eyes. A shiny golden comb sat entwined in her raven tresses which were pulled back into a simple, yet elegant bun rather than the pair of neat pigtails she normally sported. She seemed to be wearing only a little makeup; her fair skin was naturally free of blemishes, her eyelashes had been accentuated and her lips were a rosier color than usual, but in general, her delicate features didn't need much help at all.

Traditional sandals donned her small feet and her fingers were wrapped around a small decorative pouch. The faint glow of the lanterns only emphasized her glowing aura.

Aoi felt his mind go blank, in a daze. It took him all of his willpower to snap out of his staring, and cobalt eyes finally regained their conscious sheen.

A subdued sigh.

He hated to admit it.

She was _beautiful_.

Smiling, Sakura waved her hand at her apology. "It's fine, it's fine! That aside, you look super cute today!"

Confusion filled the apathetic girl's tea-colored eyes.

"Hm? Is that so?"

"Yeah, of course!"

_Is she serious? She doesn't realize how… _

For once, even the stubborn hot-headed boy could not deny that this strange girl, who he often called unfeminine, graceless, and an idiot to style, was perhaps the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on in his lifetime—and that was saying _a lot. _His face felt hot even in such chilly weather and he lowered his head to allow his navy fringe to shield his telltale cobalt eyes.

_This is so stupid._

Shizuko and Sakura both rushed over to the dark-haired girl, grabbing her hands and whispering words of concern towards her.

"Was this… _all_ done by that pervert, Arashiyama?"

"Only the makeup and hair; a woman dressed me into the kimono…"

"Did he do anything weird to you?"

"He took a few photos, but other than that…"

"You're alright, though, right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Busy observing the fancy clothes Suzuna wore, Aoi allowed his mind to wander. She looked rather elegant wearing one a kimono as opposed to one of his dresses… she was cute in them, too, dare he say it, but perhaps traditional clothes suited her better… He wondered if he should consider trying something out of his comfort zone like making a yukata or kimono for her and had begun to picture a design when Sakura's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ne, Shintani-kun, don't you have anything to say?"

Aoi swiveled his head to look at the older boy she was referring to, pissed to find that a similar shade of red had spread across his face as well.

"Ah, ha…" Hinata laughed nervously. "Amazing! That kimono really suits you, Suzuna-chan! I was surprised because you dressed up today!"

A vein twitched in the navy-haired boy's forehead. He couldn't stand to hear such comments rolling off that idiot's tongue, especially not ones directed to _his_ Suzuna.

_His_?

_His _Suzuna_?_

"No, no, no, no…" Aoi muttered angrily under his breath, causing the other to glance at him in confusion. Sakura suddenly grinned, noticing the discomfort he seemed to radiate and leaned in close to the young flustered teenager.

"What about you, Aoi-kun?"

_"Hah?"_

His head shot up at her question and he flinched at the mischievous expression that had found its way on to the pink-haired girl's face. It all came back to him—this was payback for his 'love is for losers' comment.

"What do you think of Suzuna-chan?"

He felt himself grow warmer, if possible.

_What the hell do you mean by that?_

"Um…" he refused to look back at the pretty dark-haired girl that curiously gazed at him. "She… doesn't look as awful as she normally does, if that's what you're asking me. I guess I'd call her sort of—just a _little_…"

Aoi mustered up the courage to say the one word he didn't want to.

_"…cute."_

_There! I said it! Now leave me alone!_

Sakura squealed in delight, yanking Suzuna's hand and pulling her close. "Did you hear that, Suzuna-chan? Aoi-kun thinks you're cute!"

"Don't repeat it!"

"True love! It's true love in its finest!"

_"Gah! Stop saying such embarrassing things out loud!"_

The three laughed at the expression on Aoi's face, as well as the utter opposite one Suzuna wore—a mix between bewilderment and surprise. Had it not been for the hilarity of the situation, perhaps the others could also make out the faint tint of pink that had spread across the apathetic girl's face.

* * *

6:36 pm.

Suzuna could only watch.

Breathless.

Her accelerating heartbeat continued to betray her.

* * *

6:37 pm.

Aoi did not look back.

Frustrated.

His formerly freezing ears burned from beneath his cap.

* * *

7:05 pm.

"Thanks You-kun, Hyōdō-kun," Suzuna spoke up as the five strolled down the illuminated street. "For coming to the shrine."

She hadn't been looking at either of them in particular but Aoi felt sure that her words probably had no meaning when directed to him. A pang of annoyance spread through him at the stupid pet name Suzuna referred the airhead with.

"Well, it's dangerous for girls to be hanging out on the street at night," Hinata replied, sheepishly.

Sakura giggled as she bit into a piece of cotton candy, "Shintani-kun, we'll be counting on you to be our bodyguard!"

Aoi glowered and rolled his eyes as Hinata took this opportunity of gratitude to glorify himself even further.

"Leave it to me!"

"You too, Aoi-kun!"

The navy-haired boy ignored Sakura's attempts at including him into the conversation. This night had been so aggravating! He had to deal with a certain airhead's stupidity and Misaki-chi's friends constantly irritated him, despite the fact that they did not exactly try to pester him.

Perhaps…

There was something more.

Perhaps—it was because he couldn't bring himself to look at _her._

* * *

7:31 pm.

"Thank you."

"Huh? Again? For what?"

"You're wearing the scarf I made you for Christmas."

Heat rushed to his head.

"So what? It's not like I wanted to or anything; I'm just cold."

"Right."

_"Are you mocking me?"_

Her laugh was abrupt. It left him dazed.

"Of course not. I'm thanking you."

"I already said I—"

"I know."

He wondered if she still had that expression of apathy on her features.

He couldn't bring himself to find out.

* * *

7:55 pm.

"Onee-san texted me. She found out I was behind everything."

"No surprise there."

"Whatever do you mean?"

He scoffed. "You're like a fox, you know that?"

She grinned. "Please explain."

"Shut up."

* * *

8:13 pm.

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?"

He sounded angry, exasperated.

"I was in a rush; I didn't have time to put any on."

"Idiot. You'll freeze," he spoke as he removed his own gloves and shoved them towards her. "Put these on."

"What about you?"

"I've got pockets; I don't need them."

She only barely managed to suppress a smile.

"Is Hyōdō-kun worried about me?"

"D-Don't flatter yourself. I don't care about you at all."

A wince.

He was awful at lying.

* * *

9:25 pm.

_"How much amazake are you going to drink?"_

She looked up from the rim of her cup and regarded him politely.

"Geez! You'll empty the entire stall! They'll run out before the night is over!"

"Would you like to drink some as well?"

"Huh? No, I—"

After a moment of hesitation, he took the cup she was handing out to him.

A mutter.

"Thanks."

He blamed his flushed cheeks on the warmth he received from the amazake.

* * *

9:44 pm.

"Why are you blushing?"

_"I'm not blushing, dammit!"_

"But your face is red."

"That's because it's cold!"

She tilted her head.

"Is that so?"

A shrug.

"Makes sense."

The shadow of a smile never left her lips.

* * *

10:51 pm.

"So, Shintani… what's your deal with him?"

"I don't understand."

"Why are you so friendly with him?"

"Well, he was a childhood friend of ours… Are you jealous?"

"No way! Why would I envy an airhead like him?"

"For the same reason I envy my sister."

"You… what?"

"Hyōdō-kun likes Onee-san, right?"

A snort. "No. Why does that matter, anyway?"

Slumped shoulders.

"No reason. Let's go."

He couldn't figure out why she had acted so strange.

* * *

11:24 pm.

"Ne…"

"Hm."

"Where did the rest of them go?"

"Shopping at the stalls."

"…What about you?"

Confusion was evident in her large tea-colored eyes.

"What about me?"

"Do you want to go shop, too?"

Hesitation.

"No. I've already got everything I need. I don't want more."

"Oh."

For some reason, he felt that there was something deeper hidden beneath her words that she was too afraid to say.

* * *

11:40 pm.

"Let's go to the shrine."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The others are still buying candied apples but I guess we can wait for them…"

"Without them."

She had spoken without missing a beat. Her tea-colored eyes collided with his.

Always direct.

Always honest.

And Aoi could simply not deny her.

* * *

11.53 pm.

"Those are the o-mikuji," Suzuna commented. "Do you want to know what your fortune is?"

Aoi shook his head. "Nope. That's stupid. It's not like they're accurate, anyway."

"There's always a chance."

"Fine, whatever. Let's just get it over with, then."

They both made small five yen offering to the shrine. Suzuna pulled a fortune out of the box.

_Han-kichi; Half Blessing… _

_Renai; Romantic Relationships: The one that you love is the right person, however their feelings will not yet speak for themselves. Continue to try your best and change your tactics. More push is needed…_

A smile.

"Your turn, Hyōdō-kun."

Aoi reached into the box and grabbed the first slip of paper he touched.

His eyes scanned over the fortune, widening as he read to himself.

_Han-kyo; Half-Curse… _

_Negaigoto; One's Wish or Desire: The longer that you wait for the thing that you are yearning for, the harder it will be to accomplish it in the end. Do not hesitate; Your desires will only grow stronger._

He furrowed his eyebrows.

_Huh?_

_What is this?_

Crumpling up the paper into a ball, Aoi stuffed it into his pocket with a scoff. Suzuna watched him with amusement.

"What did it say?"

"Nothing."

"Hm."

Risking a glance at her, Aoi was taken aback to find that Suzuna had been watching him rather fixatedly, her amber eyes glistening by the glow of the lanterns. He noticed that her lower lip had been pulled in slightly, a universal gesture of anticipation. Needless to say, Aoi was more than a little ruffled at this. It was unfair that she could stare him like that with such a cute and calm expression while he had to control himself from just looking at her otherwise he knew he'd instantly blush like an idiot.

"What the hell do you want?" he glared down at her, spouting out in a harsh manner.

There was no obvious shift in her expression but Aoi could almost detect a sudden dullness to her eyes.

Hurt? Sadness?

No—that wasn't possible.

She was a robot… _right?_

Even so, a pang of guilt flooded Aoi's chest and he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What's wrong, Suzuna?"

_Crap, crap, crap!_

He hated the way his voice seemed to crack with the worry; why couldn't he just stay quiet? It's not like he cared, anyway! Before he could turn his head away in humiliation, he felt a slender hand enclose around his wrist. Eyes widening, Aoi could only wait and wondered if the reason behind her flushed cheeks were because of the cold.

"I wanted to show you, Hyōdō-kun," she murmured, almost coyly. "That's why I dressed up like this."

_Huh?_

"F-For me?"

"Mm."

_"Why?"_

"You're always saying how unfeminine I am. I thought if I could change your mind—"

_"Idiot. _You don't need my approval! Wear whatever you want, for all I care!"

A moment of irritation raced in her features and Suzuna lowered her head, sighing. "I'd have preferred if you told me earlier that you were actually coming tonight. Because my fortune is right; I will need to change my tactics."

"Tactics…?"

She walked a few paced ahead of him and turned around slightly. Aoi could hardly understand see her face on the petite silhouette that glowed from the light of the lanterns, but something told him that she was smiling.

"From now on, I won't hold back my attacks. Be prepared, Hyōdō-kun."

_Attacks? Be prepared for her attacks?_

_What?_

Not being able to stand the nebulous tone of the situation, Aoi rushed forward and grabbed Suzuna's arm. His eyes were became a frantic cobalt and he knew he was blushing hard, but he didn't care anymore. He just had to know what this enigmatic dark-haired girl had meant by such a brazen comment.

Could it be… that she had feeling for _him?_

_No, there's no way! She doesn't like me like that at all! I'm sure of that!_

_How could she care for someone like me?_

"Stop…" he gasped, breath coming out in puffs. "Stop messing with me…"

"Hyōdō-kun…"

"No, I can't keep up with you! I… I just need…"

His grip loosened.

"I don't know… Forget it."

He dropped her hand.

_I'm sick of this._

Aoi turned around, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm going home."

_How could anyone care for someone like me?_

"Hyōdō-kun!"

He felt himself being pulled back. Scarf flying out in front of him, Aoi could just barely keep his balance as the petite dark-haired girl whirled him around and towards the shrine.

He did not resist.

He _could not_ resist.

* * *

12:00 am.

_Clang…!_

_Clang…!_

_Clang…!_

"Ah! They've started!"

The bells.

It was midnight.

The two bowed twice and clapped their hands, commencing the first prayers of the year.

When they had finished with one last bow, Aoi hesitantly glanced beside him to find Suzuna genuinely enthralled by the sound of the ringing bells. Her features, though calm, were enhanced by the way those large, amber eyes glowed, and at that moment, he was sure that she was feeling the same thing he was.

His fortune was right.

He needed to act.

Boldness overtook him and he slipped his hand into hers. Ignoring the questioning glance she threw him, Aoi kept his eyes lowered. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest and he couldn't bring himself to turn back to face her again, despite how much he wanted to.

January 1st. Shōgatsu.

New Year's Day.

_Now._

The festival was ending.

And he had spent its last moments holding hands with the beautiful girl he was too afraid to look at.


End file.
